Spring 2019 Newsletter

Welcome
We hope everyone had a really great break over Christmas and New
Year. For many, it will no doubt be a distant memory but it is not too late
to think about making some changes or trying something new this year!

We have lots of events coming up. There is plenty to get involved in

whether you are looking for a volunteering opportunity, fundraising,
wanting to learn a new skill, get out more or simply live your best life, we
are sure we will have something that you can take part in.

As always, for the most up-to-date news from the Centre, follow us on
social media. Search for @FVSensoryCentre on Facebook or Twitter.
Contents
 News
o Malvina Dwyer
o Funding Success
 Kitchen garden
 Cycling Scotland
 Cyber Essentials
o Transport and Group costs
 Volunteering – Q&A with new driver, Peter Arkless
 Solicitors for Older People Scotland – Home Visits for Legal Work
 Groups and Classes
o Cooking with David
o Curling is Cool
o Give it some lip!
o Feeling fine with Talk and Sign
o New – Evening Voices Off Café!
o Digital Storytelling
o Archery class on target
 BSL Tours and Edinburgh and Stirling Castles
 OrCam Visit 18th March
 A Letter From…Loch Ossian Hotel with Jim McLean

News
Malvina Dwyer

We open this edition with the sad news

that Malvina Dwyer, member of our lip
reading group and well-known face
around the area has passed away.

A multi-award winning gardener, Malvina

opened her house and garden up once a
year to welcome the public and raise
money for local charities. In the last three years, she raised just over
£3000 for the Centre, which helped pay for Jill, our lip reading tutor to
lead the class. In total, Malvina raised over £10,000 for local good
causes and her wit, insight and generosity will be sadly missed.
Funding Successes

Kitchen Garden
Some good news recently, we have been awarded a number of different
grants to help improve our Centre! The biggest, from Falkirk
Environment Trust, will see us create a new kitchen garden and
wildflower meadow at the Centre.

The new garden will take up some of the space currently occupied by the
Guide Dog space and provide fresh, organic herbs and vegetables for
our Café. In addition, we will encourage schoolchildren to explore their
senses, including taste, sight and hearing, with specially developed
classes.

The aim is to increase understanding of how our senses guide us in the

world and what it can be like to manage when our senses are not as
good.

The wildflower meadow, which will be placed on the hill adjacent to the
Sensory Garden, will complement our existing sensory space by filling
the hill with colour as well as encouraging insects and birds to the area.
We plan to start work on both of these very soon.
Cycling Scotland
Another addition to the Centre will soon be a cycle shelter. This is to help
encourage people to use environmentally friendly travel where possible
(including staff based within the Centre) and also to make our Café even
more accessible.

At present, cycles are left tied to the lamppost outside the Sensory
Garden or chained to railings outside the Centre. Both can cause a
hazard for our blind and partially sighted Centre users. By having a
recognised cycle rack, we hope to prevent these issues and encourage
more healthy visitors!

Cyber Essentials
It’s not only physical problems we are trying to solve, we also take the
care of our data and information very seriously too.

We have been successful in receiving a £1000 grant from SCVO to

enable us to upgrade our Cyber security to Cyber Essentials Plus. As a
Centre we know that ensuring you can trust us with your information is
vital. We are accredited with the Good Fundraising and Volunteer
Friendly initiatives too, so no matter how you interact with us, online,
over the phone, old fashioned face to face and whether you are a Centre
User, fundraiser, donor or volunteer, you can be sure of the best service
and utmost care of your information.

Transport and Group Costs

Despite the funding wins outlined, we are not immune to the rising costs
of fuel and other utilities around your Centre.

Following a review of costs, it has been determined that transport costs

will rise to £5 per return journey from 1st April. This still represents
exceptional value for money in the current climate.

Some costs for other groups will also rise but increases will be specific to
each group. All group attendees will be informed about any costs which
directly affect them in due course.
Volunteering - Q&A with volunteer driver Peter Arkless
How long have you been a
volunteer at Forth Valley
Sensory Centre and what do
you do?
“I started volunteer work with
the Centre in November 2018
after the Centre enabled me to
complete Midas training so
that I can drive the Centre
minibus. I collect folks from their houses to get to groups and classes as
well as returning them.

“As well as going to the Centre, I do day trips out driving to events such
as curling at The Peak in Stirling and going to see fantastic shows like
Les Miserables!”

What made you choose to volunteer at Forth Valley Sensory Centre?

“I was looking to do different types of volunteer work and met the Falkirk
Volunteer Services (FVS) to discuss what volunteer work was available.
That is how I discovered Forth Valley Sensory Centre was looking for a
minibus driver. I was very much attracted to this opportunity because I so
enjoy meeting, helping and interacting with folks who need help or
assistance. I also saw it as an opportunity to learn new things like sign
language”.

Can you tell us a bit about your background before becoming a

volunteer?
“I spent my whole work career working in electronics and computers. All
my employers were American companies. I worked all over Scotland
from Greenock in the west coast to Dundee. Outside my work I was, and
still am, a keen hill walker as well as cycling and motorcycling. I love all
sports and play badminton and swim a lot to keep fit. After retiring in
2017, I started, and still do voluntary work with my church in Bathgate,
helping in the Foodbank, running the church office, and assisting with the
Boys Brigade.”
What is the best thing about your volunteer role?
“I think the best thing is being able to put a smile on someone’s face,
knowing that you have helped put that smile there knowing they have
really enjoyed the activities organised for them. I also really enjoy the
fellowship of talking and interacting with the folks I am helping.”

If you were to recommend volunteering to others – what would you say

the benefits are? What does it mean to you?
“The benefits are certainly knowing that you are making someone else’s
life a happier one and enabling them to have a better quality life. It allows
you to also meet and understand people from other walks of life and
understand the challenges they have based on their physical conditions.
It also make you feel a better person and that you have done some good
for other people who are not as fortunate as yourself. Everyone is
entitled to be happy!”

Solicitors for Older People Scotland: Home Visits for Legal

Work
Solicitors for Older People Scotland have announced the introduction of
a Home Visit service to older clients and clients with sensory deprivation.
The service allows clients to be seen at home for legal work rather than
having always to make arrangements to visit the solicitors’ office.

The service will be available over all of the Central Belt where most of
the groups 31 member firms are located. There will be no extra charge
to clients and all clients will be assessed for legal aid. For those that do
not qualify, mention Forth Valley Sensory Centre for a discount on your
services.

Commenting on the service Vivienne Malcolm of SOPS said:

“Actually we have always offered the service to vulnerable people who

clearly couldn’t travel. But we came to realise lots of older folk who
could not be classed as vulnerable and would never ask for a home visit
– still had to make a massive effort to get to a solicitor’s office. Not
everyone lives on a bus route and once we started looking at this we
found many folk might need to take most of their day travelling to and
from an interview which itself might only take forty minutes or so.

“Most solicitors have cars, can get around quickly, and it just seemed
sensible to reverse things and let the solicitors do the travelling. We
have been trialling this for a year now – and it works well. So we are just
launching the service publically now and I think it will prove pretty
popular.”

To access this service just phone Solicitors for Older People Scotland on
0800 037 0526

Groups and Classes

Cooking with David
Our resident cook David is now offering
cooking courses certified by the Royal
Environmental Health Institute of Scotland
(REHIS). Those who complete the five-week
course will receive a certificate in
Elementary Cooking Skills from REHIS.

The course covers kitchen safety, food hygiene and of course,

participants get to prepare some fantastic food. Everyone learns how to
prepare a starter, main course and dessert, but best of all, you can take
your creations home and show off to family and friends!

The course is ideal for people with sight loss who have lost confidence in
the kitchen or want to try something new as David is blind himself and
has lots of hints and tips to prepare food safely. However, the free
course is open to anyone that wants to come along.

Places are strictly limited so if you would like to be added to the list,
please contact Brenda at the Centre.

Curling is cool!
A number of our Centre Users
recently took to the ice for Scottish
Curling’s “Curlability” challenge. Held
at The Peak in Stirling, the
competition saw different groups with
various disabilities all compete in the
traditional game of skill and strategy
on ice.

It was an amazingly fun afternoon and while competition was fierce, it

was all played in good nature with everyone having a great time.

The Peak, in partnership with Active Stirling and Scottish Curling, have
regular Curling sessions for people with sight loss and BSL sessions are
also on the cards. If you would like to take up this very Scottish of sports
with the Centre, let us know and we will arrange a place for you.
Transport from the Centre can also be arranged.

Give it some lip!

Do you struggle to follow conversations? Do people often think you have
heard what they have said when you haven’t? Or do noisy places with
lots of background chatter make you concerned you will have problems
holding conversations with friends?

Our weekly lip reading class, held each Monday 5:30pm-7:30pm, can
help. Our friendly, patient tutor Jill, has hearing loss herself and
understands how frustrating noisy places can be. Lip reading will help
you follow conversations and enjoy social occasions.

Contact Alison at the Centre for more information or to sign up!

Feeling fine with Talk and Sign
Our monthly Talk and Sign Group, led
by volunteer Laura is once again
showing the way when it comes to fun
and practical events for people with
hearing loss. Open to all deaf people
and with BSL interpreters provided, the
group meets on the third Monday of
each month 7pm to 9pm. February’s
activity is a first aid class, including how to use a defibrillator but new
activities are posted each month.

In the past, the group has done quilting, car maintenance, visited the
Kelpies and played Boccia! To see what the group are up to next, check
out the events section on our Facebook page.

Evening Voices Off Café Open 11th March

Our popular Voices Off Café for people who want to learn some basic
BSL is due to open Monday evenings from 11th March. From 6pm-
7:30pm, thanks to See Hear funding, adults can come along to learn
some essential BSL, including fingerspelling, how to ask someone’s
name and numbers.

Initially running for six weeks, if it is well supported, the Café should be
extended into the summer.

Best of all, it is free to attend. We only ask that attendees pay £1 for a
tea of coffee. For those who don’t fancy evenings, of fortnightly class on
Wednesday mornings, 11am-12pm is still available. Contact us for more
information or if you would like to attend. We hope to run a Voices Off
café for families in the future so if you are interested in bringing along
your children to learn some BSL please let us know and we will add your
details to the Family Voices Off waiting list.

Digital Storytelling
Several Centre Users have recently taken part in The People’s Story
Project a 9-month long joint project between Scottish Book Trust and
Falkirk Community Trust libraries.
Using the StoryCenter approach in Digital Storytelling, workshops are
focused on participant’s learning to find and use their own voice (see
www.storycenter.org). The project is aimed at working with individuals in
a group setting to develop their confidence using digital technology while
at the same time developing their communication, social and literacy
skills.

Digital storytelling involves using iPads and selected apps to create

images and audio, which is edited together in the form of a short film
(typically 2-5 minutes in length).

While there have already been a number of recordings made, there is

potential for more people to be involved with this project in the coming
weeks. If there is anyone with a sensory loss reading this who would like
to be involved with the next session, get in touch as soon as possible.

A final celebratory showcase event is anticipated for June 2019, where

finished short films can be screened. There is no obligation on
participants to attend or display their final stories.

Archery on target for Centre launch

Calling all budding Robin Hoods and Hawkeyes!
We are hoping to launch a new archery class in the
halls in the near future.

This will be a special form of ‘soft’ archery, and we

have met several times with the tutors to ensure it
is suitable for people with sight loss. This is a chance to try something
new and innovative here at you Centre and we hope you enjoy it.

Registration of interest is now open (please contact Brenda) and you will
be advised of the start date.

BSL Tours at Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle

Join us at both Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle for BSL tours on
various dates this year. Explore the castles with deaf tour guide John
Hay, whose BSL tours will be translated into English by interpreter Linda
Duncan. The tours are included in the normal admission price, and can
be pre-booked online. On the same days as the Stirling Castle tours,
we'll also be running free BSL tours of the Engine Shed - Scotland's
national conservation centre.

Dates
Edinburgh Castle- Saturday 16th March, Saturday 11th May and Saturday
21st September

Stirling Castle- Saturday 13th April, Saturday 22nd June and Saturday 5th
October

Links
Edinburgh Castle BSL Tours-
https://www.edinburghcastle.scot/whatson/events/british-sign-language-
tours

Stirling Castle BSL Tours-

https://www.stirlingcastle.scot/whatson/events/british-sign-language-
tours/

OrCam to Visit the Forth Valley Sensory Centre 18th March

OrCam are delighted to be making a visit to the Forth Valley Sensory
Centre in March. OrCam has become the worlds most advanced mobile
wearable device, designed to assist the blind, visually impaired and
those with learning difficulties like Dyslexia.

A smart camera that fits to eye

glasses, OrCam will convey any
printed text into an audio format
from books, newspapers, your
mail, menus and can read from
computer screens or smart
devices via a discreet built in
speaker. OrCam can recognise faces of loved ones, family and friends,
bank notes, barcodes, colours and comes with Wifi and Bluetooth
capabilities.

Why not come along and take advantage of a no obligations hands on

demonstration and see how OrCam can assist the blind and visually
impaired? Event takes place March 18th from 10:00am to 3:00pm.

For more information, you can contact Ian White on 07980302743

A Letter From…Loch Ossian Hotel, with Jim McLean

Where? I hear many of you ask; well you may as I’d never heard of it too
till me mate Billy said we could go and stay here and have a daunder
round. We got off the train at Corrour, which is in the middle of Rannoch
Moor, one station up from Rannoch Station on the Fort William line,
which I thought, was in the middle of nowhere but turns out tis Corrour
that holds that distinction.

Actually, the train goes on through Fort William and continues to Mallaig
going over the Glenfinnan viaduct of Harry Potter fame, and is a truly
spectacular train journey but crossing Rannoch Moor is brilliant also. I've
done it a few times, had a walk round Mallaig, got a fish supper and got
the same train which waits for two hours or so before heading back to
Glasgow.

Corrour station is also famed as where the lads in the film Trainspotting
got off, looked round and at each other, and wondered why they were
there. From the station, which can only be reached by train, we walked
the mile or so in lovely scenery to our digs for the night the hostel on
Loch Ossian.

This mile took us ages as we stopped every few hundred yards to take
pics but we were in no hurry, snow on the hills all around gave us terrific
views. The hostel sits on the lochside in a wee picturesque glen and has
a bunkroom so quickly we grabbed two bottom ones so no need to climb
up and doon ladders, been there… done that...young man’s game!

I've stayed in quite a number of hostels and you meet people from all
over the globe and here was no exception, a young crowd from
Indonesia, who'd been here before and love auld Scotia. A dad and son
from south of the border up to take in the solitude and folk from Glasgow,
a great mix.
The hostel used to be the ferry waiting room for the toffs who arrived by
train and were up to stay in the big hoose down the bottom end of the
loch and shoot a peasant or even pheasant or two. According to Billy, the
family of Tetra Pak fame currently own the estate and the current swish
looking big hoose, which has to be accessed on a private road.

We had our daunder right round the loch, about nine or 10 miles in total
on a not to bad rough road. Time of the year was tadpole time with lots of
the wee things in puddles all over.

You take turns to cook in a hostel so after our turn we settled down with
a nice bottle of red and a guid blether with anyone so inclined, including
the lass running the place. She and I had been to New Zealand and
shared tales of that wonderful country.

Billy and I slept like the proverbial log. Up, showered and after brekky we
all had a visitor, a big old stag right outside the window looking for his
breakfast too! Billy and I had another wee walk higher up the hill to the
right of the loch with great views, this ash packed road is there to service
pylons and is quite new. It leads all the way round the hill back to
Rannoch Station. We said our goodbyes and headed up to Corrour
station.

Now here is a restaurant open from March to October and the estate has
also bought and refurbished the signal box, below which is three double
luxury bedrooms all sharing the top floor of the box which is now a 360
degree viewing room. Maybe next time Jim...save your pennies!

That’s all folks!

That concludes our first quarterly Newsletter of the year. We hope you
have enjoyed reading our news and we are always interested to hear
your views, so please get in touch with Martin Allen
[email protected] if you have any comments or
suggestions for future editions.

ENDS

Forth Valley Sensory Centre, February, 2019