The

Magazine

Hampshire’s principal organisation

for visually impaired people

Issue 46 Aug 2020

“Providing a Lifetime of Support”

The Open Sight magazine is published by Open Sight Charity No 1055498 Registered Company No

3178631 Registered in England and Wales

Chief Executive Officer, David Mckeigue, says, “Hello All,

and welcome to our Summer 2020 Magazine.

Our last Magazine back in April was actually compiled and

distributed literally just before lockdown occurred and at

which point sadly Open Sight had to suspend all face-to-

face services and close our office to routine visits and

appointments in line with Government guidance. I want to

update you on events during lockdown and highlight the

great outcomes that the charity was still able to achieve

despite the lockdown restrictions.

Open Sight decided not to ‘shut the shop’ or furlough any

of our staff, but instead asked our staff to work from home

and provide whatever services, advice and information

they could from their homes. Despite many of the staff

never having worked from home before and the huge

household and technical challenges this presented, I am so

delighted to say that everybody rose to this challenge and

did what they could from home, and made a difference to

the lives of the visually impaired in Hampshire. Thanks to

Debbie Ross and Pam Bateman for keeping the office

functioning whilst it was open for a reduced number of

days and hours per week.

This edition of the magazine highlights just some of those

great outcomes where Open Sight made a difference

Chief Executive

David Mckeigue

despite the most challenging times and restrictions of the

COVID-19 lockdown. A heartfelt thanks to all staff for their

passion and commitment to our visually impaired clients.

Additionally, in June Steve Geary, Independent Living

Advisor, clocked up 20 years’ service with Open Sight and

to mark this momentous achievement Steve and I held a

video interview which can be watched on our website.

One thing that struck me about these strange times is the

use of technology and how it now drives our behaviour

somewhat out of necessity if we want to remotely see and

talk to our friends and family or access services and virtual

groups or clubs. Who had ever heard of Zoom before

COVID-19, but now it’s so widely used that it is part of our

normal daily life? Our Working Age Groups for example

now use Zoom to virtually meet each other on a periodic

basis and it’s proving most welcome and beneficial.

Assistive technology such as Zoom not only allows us to

access services, but it will also be something that Open

Sight embraces going forward to deliver some of our

existing and new services.

As far as the future is concerned, plans are being readied

and risk assessments being complied to allow the office to

be opened full time in August and face-to-face services to

restart in September or October, subject to Government

guidance, of course. Open Sight will keep you posted.

In the meantime, enjoy this edition and read or listen how

our staff made a difference during the lockdown.”

The Open Sight AGM 2020 which was due to be held

in Fareham on the 25th November is unlikely to go ahead

in person due to COVID-19 restrictions. A virtual AGM is

currently being investigated by the Board of Open Sight

with more details provided once available.

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Independent Living Advisor Steve Geary says, “The 19th

June saw the 20th anniversary of my employment with

Open Sight Hampshire. Initially I was working at the

Southampton Eye Unit as Patient Support Officer. I was

able to help patients with advice and inform them what

would happen next and reassure those at a time when they

had been given bad news. At the end of 2005 I moved to

the office and commenced working in my present role as a

home visiting Independent Living Advisor. I carry out low

vision assessments and give advice on areas clients may

be struggling with in their daily lives. From my point of

view, it is the best job ever. I meet such lovely people and

make a difference to their lives and hopefully improve

things for them. It is likely that patients I helped at the

hospital and clients I have home visited number around

5,000! That is without all those I have advised over the

phone and spoken to at exhibitions, group talks and at our

Information Hubs.

Of course, more recently our lives have been very

different. In March I caught Covid-19 and was quite unwell

for a while. I have recovered but I don’t recommend it at

all. It was not a very nice experience so be careful and

keep safe. Since lockdown, I have been working from

home to continue providing a service. It is very different

from how work has ever been for me in the past. I have

Steve’s

Techno Talk

Tel. 023 8064 6376

spoken to many people over the phone and helped lots

with advice. I’ve helped with practical suggestions on

things people can do until a full assessment can be carried

out and have enabled some people to read with the aids

they have available to them.

I am hopeful that home visits will be back up and running

in the very near future but in the meantime, my colleagues

and I remain available to you.”

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Direct Services Officer, Pam Bateman, who is Open Sight’s

Equipment Expert, says, “Whilst all Open Sight face-to-face

services have been suspended during lockdown and most

staff working from home, Head Office has remained open 3

days a week since 23rd March. Colleague Debbie Ross and I

have been socially distancing in the Office each week to

provide a continuous level of cover and support to our

clients and their families.

I have been able to give practical information and advice

over the phone on a wide range of concerns, including

health and safety, access to food, medication and other

supplies, definition of Government advice and much more.

With many people shielding I have been contacted by

concerned friends and relatives. I’ve been able to reassure

them that their loved ones have not been forgotten and

have provided information on localised support networks. I

have also been sending out lots of equipment, including

bump-ons, lamps and liquid level indicators meaning our

clients can remain safe at home.

Regrettably, some of the Information and Equipment Days

have been postponed until later in the year. I very much

hope that the rescheduled Portsmouth Day on Friday 4th

September and in Winchester on Tuesday 20th October

may go ahead. Please call me to confirm.

Pam’s Equipment

and Aids Page

Tel. 023 8064 6380

Aladdin CCTV £30

Pebble Mini £100

Magnifiers £5

Penn Friend £40

The correct decision to keep the office open has enabled a

surprising amount of people being referred to Open Sight

services. Having the chance to offer support and advice

during this time has been very worthwhile.”

Pre-owned and ex-demonstration items

Zoe Hanscombe, Open Sight’s Smart device and social

media Guru, says, “With current times changing the way

we live at the moment, we have adapted our Working Age

Services by utilising technology and devices so that our

Groups can meet up ‘virtually’ using Zoom and WhatsApp.

Our WAG Members are enjoying regular catchups, finding

out about Open Sight Hampshire news fresh of the press

and being able to chat with other visually impaired people

across Hampshire, sharing stories, ideas and news.

Zoe’s App Advice

and WAG Groups

Tel.023 8064 1244

I am now able to offer my Smartphone tutorials over the

phone, email, by Zoom and live stream webinars. On

Wednesday afternoons and Thursday mornings, I am now

taking bookings for 1:1 Smartphone and device tutorials,

so please get in touch to make an appointment.

If you have never used ‘virtual’ technology before, I have

set up step-by-step videos on how to install Zoom on your

Smart device, or you can use your computer or laptop and

join our Zoom meet-ups directly this way.

Mrs S from Hayling Island who is totally blind, wanted to

learn how to use on-line shopping as visiting shops with

new signage and social distancing restrictions in place are

not easy for someone with sight loss. I was able to conduct

a telephone tutorial covering the basics of using her

Smartphone to shop online so that she could successfully

browse through shopping Apps.

Mrs K from Aldershot who has an iPhone and is totally

bind, wanted to learn more about using different features

on her device. After a telephone consultation and a video

set on WhatsApp she knows much more about her device.

Tracy Allen, Open Sight’s Benefits Champion, says, ”I do

hope everyone is managing to keep safe and well despite

the still ongoing Covid-19 situation. Casting my mind back

Tracy’s

Benefits Bulletin

Tel. 023 8064 6372

to my last day in the office before lockdown began, it’s

quite astonishing now to think of the journey we’ve been

on during this time.

My role is to visit clients in their homes to complete an

Attendance Allowance (AA) or a Personal Independence

Payment (PIP) application form. From late March when we

had to suspend all face-to-face contact for an unknown

amount of time, it was, to say the least, quite a daunting

and overwhelming consideration. However, I am so

pleased to have been able to continue working from my

home as the phone has made it possible to complete some

forms verbally from my sofa. I feel a real sense of

achievement that Open Sight has kept going and worked

throughout these strange and uncertain times, especially

when other sight loss charities have not been so active.

For myself, homeworking has been a completely new

experience; my sofa has become ‘my office’ and I sit here

all day surrounded by my work, headphones on and ready

to take and make calls. A new phrase ‘Covid Back’ has

recently been coined as 1000s of homeworkers, using

inappropriate chairs and tables to work at, have developed

back pain. Our weekly online video ‘all staff meetings’ have

become the ‘new norm’ which continue to work well. For

most of us, this is the only time we see each other.

My colleagues and I have been busy calling existing clients

to offer advice and support and to check they are doing

OK. We talk about the services still available and indeed

new ones that have been set up specifically since the

lockdown began, including localised support networks.

Whilst I am very much looking forward to when I can

resume home visits, the last weeks have been positively

rewarding in many ways I never thought possible. All the

staff at Open Sight are still here for our clients so please

do get in touch for further information and advice.”

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Sight and Sound

Family Service Coordinator, Nicky Wilmot says, “As we

approached lockdown, I wondered if I could continue to

deliver a similar service to that offered in ‘normal’

circumstances. I am delighted to say that although

somewhat challenging at times, I have been able to

continue to support our families in many ways.

The Parent and Family Facebook Page has doubled in

member numbers since 23rd March! Every day I have

posted a ‘Daily Activity’ for children and their families to

enjoy, as well as information that is relevant; this included

Government guidelines for Children and Young People

during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the sharing of

opportunities for parents to speak with SEN contacts and

other relevant activities that could be of benefit to them. I

sent the activities and information in a regular newsletter.

I have been in regular contact with the Specialist Teacher

Advisory Teams from Hampshire and Portsmouth and have

received referrals from them. This has been fantastic and

demonstrates successfully how different services and

agencies can work together during these difficult times.

I have also communicated with many families either by

telephone or email. I have been able to offer emotional

support, information and advice. I am very proud that even

working remotely, I have been able to support families to

Nicky’s Family

Service News

Tel. 023 8064 6384

apply for benefits and grants. It is good to hear that some

of the benefit applications have already been awarded and

great to hear what a difference the entitlement will make

to their children’s lives! I have supported families to apply

for grants for play equipment, laptops and iPads. These

items will have a positive impact on the children’s lives and

support them to access play and learning independently,

increasing their individual mental health and wellbeing.

Unfortunately, we had to postpone the ‘Open Sight

Hampshire Family Fun Event’ which was to be held in

March at Runway’s End Activity Centre in Aldershot. We

look forward to rescheduling this event and others as soon

as it is safe to do so. Over the next few weeks, I

endeavour to continue to provide the existing services and

develop new ways of supporting our families.”

By phone 023 8064 1244

By email info@opensight.org.uk

By post 25, Church Road,

Bishopstoke, Eastleigh,

SO50 6BL

Website www.opensight.org.uk

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn

The ‘Open Sight’ magazine is edited by Terry Smith

The next edition will be published in November

How to contact

Open Sight

Community Development & Support Manager, Terry Smith,

says, “Complying with Government advice and to ensure

the health, safety and wellbeing of Club Members,

Volunteers and visitors, all Open Sight Social Clubs and

Groups as well as the Information Hubs were suspended

from March. For many people, this meant losing a valuable

means of contact and communication, so I am so grateful

to the many Club Volunteers who continue to keep in touch

with Members by phone.

At the time of writing, there have been no announcements

as to when indoor social gatherings will be reintroduced. All

at Open Sight very much hope it isn’t too long away;

however, to keep Club Members and Volunteers fully

informed it has been agreed with Club Leaders that Club

and Group meetings remain suspended until October with a

monthly review thereafter.

As with all Clubs, the Open Sight Information Hubs have

also been affected as all are hosted in external venues

such as libraries which must comply with regulations.

I’m aware of concerns about social distancing, transporting

Members and the bespoke support some visually impaired

people need. Please be assured that meetings will only

recommence in compliance with Government rules, after

full Club and venue specific Risk Assessments and

comprehensive consultation with our Volunteer Teams.”

Open Sight

Clubs, Hubs

and Groups

Are you aware that 4 in 10 cases of cancer in the UK could

be prevented?

Open Sight, in partnership with Wessex Cancer Alliance,

Action Hampshire and Cancer Research UK, is keen to raise

awareness through the ‘Communities Against Cancer’

initiative of ways to reduce the risk of cancer to its many

Members, Volunteers and partner organisations.

Included with your Open Sight magazine is a copy of

Cancer Research’s ‘Want to cut your cancer risk’ which

summarises 6 ways to consider beneficial lifestyle choices:

1. Be smoke free

2. Cut down on booze

3. Keep a healthy weight

4. Think about what’s on your plate

5. Get moving

6. Stay safe in the sun

Please be sure to read or listen to this leaflet and

encourage family and friends to do so too. The leaflet

guides you through the changes you can make and are

based on a balance of all available scientific evidence.

For further information or support, contact Cancer

Research UK Nurse Helpline on 0808 800 4040.

Reducing your

cancer risk

Open Sight Clinical Director and Trustee, Dr. Chris Schultz,

an Ophthalmologist at Southampton Eye Unit, says,

“Coronavirus (COVID-19) is still never far from anyone’s

mind as it has dominated our lives for months. Whether

direct or indirect, the disruption to healthcare services will

not have escaped many people’s attention. Ophthalmic

services have certainly not been immune to this disruption.

In many hospitals around the country ophthalmologists

were redeployed to assist other acute medical services. In

Southampton most of the outpatient nursing staff were

redeployed to other areas of care. As part of the attempts

to control this pandemic, all non-urgent care was ceased in

March. This included non-urgent surgery and outpatient

clinic appointments. It is not easy to decide whether a

patient’s care is truly urgent or if a delay in treatment

might lead to an irreversible deterioration in vision.

For the tens of thousands of patients that were due to be

seen in Southampton Eye Unit each and every one requires

a decision to be made based on the best available

information. In most cases, these decisions are made on

an individual level. For other patients that are on regular

treatment (e.g. eye injections for macular degeneration),

their treatment has been continued on a pre-specified

pathway to lessen the risk of sight loss.

A new landscape

at Eye Clinics

While over the past weeks, services have started to pick up

again, this in no way resembles the service that could be

provided in the pre-COVID era. For anyone familiar with the

eye unit in Southampton, they might not recognise it any

longer. Social distancing is maintained in waiting areas and

the number of patients in the outpatient department is less

than half of usual capacity. Surgery is slowly resuming but

with much greater restriction on the number of patients

that can be accommodated. This reduced capacity for both

clinic reviews and surgery means that we still need to

prioritise patients carefully. To quote the Royal College of

Ophthalmologists, ‘some patients with lower risk conditions

will need to have their treatments deferred to allow for the

patient’s at higher risk of visual loss to be seen.’

Even before the Covid pandemic, Ophthalmology was a

speciality under pressure with a national backlog of

patients. Southampton’s experience had been well

publicised. In response, there had been some significant

strides made locally in addressing this. Now the landscape

has changed. The stark truth is that it really is not clear

whether we will ever be able to resume the same service

that was provided before. The way that we live in 2021 will

be very different to 2019. Healthcare, and ophthalmology

will be no different.

The healthcare sector has always been slower to evolve

than other areas. In the last 2 months, new practices have

been adopted nationally faster than I have witnessed in the

ten years since I graduated. We have been forced out of

our comfort zone. The pandemic has not only created an

opportunity to introduce new processes to improve patient

care, it now demands a paradigm shift. If we think we can

tackle this new world with conventional approaches, I

suspect we will struggle to meet the high expectations our

patients deserve. Either our approach to eye care or our

expectations will need to change. I know which I’d prefer.

Players of the Open Sight Hampshire 200 Club have a high

odds chance of winning £100 each month for their low cost

per number stake of just £20 per year. The lucky winners

of £100 for the last 4 draws are:

April Barbara Chatfield Andover

May Lyn Fry Bishopstoke

June Neil Doling Marchwood

July Linda Thompson Andover

Open Sight

200 Club Winners

JOIN THE 200 CLUB FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS

Opportunities are now available to join the Open Sight

200 Club for the next round of 12 months of draws

starting in August running through to July 2021.

Open Sight 200 Club players can purchase as many

numbers from 1–200 for just £20 each.

On the second Monday of the month, numbers are

randomly drawn electronically with the owner of the

winning digit receiving the good news phone call.

To participate or for more details of this exciting and

worthwhile game, call Magda at the office on 023 8064

1244. Cheque, Credit/Debit card payments accepted.

£££

Due to social distancing and safety restrictions, this year’s

Virgin London Marathon had to be suspended. As you may

remember, Open Sight was being supported by Moore

Blatch Solicitors who had 5 staff running on our behalf.

However, a national initiative, ‘The 2.6 Challenge’, was

introduced to partly fill the financial void many charities

were left in due to the Marathon’s cancellation.

Many of the Open Sight staff rose to the Challenge by

walking 26 miles, horse-riding for 26 miles and many other

activities involving 26 or 2.6. They raised over £1400!

A huge thank you from the Open

Sight Totton & District Club for the

superb support of local organisations.

Photos show Totton

Club Leader Tracey

Smith and Open

Sight’s Terry Smith

at a recent meeting

as ASDA Totton’s Community Champion

Julie Motherwell awarded the Club £500

and Tracey accepting a £250 cheque from

Martin Cox of the Rose Window 7839

Lodge, Chandlers Ford.

The Club has also benefitted from a donation of £299,

courtesy of Waitrose in Hythe.

Fundraising news

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