Hello newsletter

Winter 2016 editionWe are a charity that helps people living with sight

loss and a range of other disabilities to achieve their ambitions and go beyond expectations.

Henshaws, Atherton House, 88-92 Talbot Road, Old Trafford, Manchester M16 0GS

Phone: 0161 872 1234 Visit: henshaws.org.uk

1

Contents:

Page 3 Welcome

Page 4 Henshaws Stories

Page 5 Community Services News

Page 8 Fundraising Updates

Page 9 Christmas Quiz

Page 10 Christmas Recipe

Page 11 Groups Updates

Page 15 Arts and Culture

Page 18 Other News, Services and Useful Numbers

2

Hello and welcome to the winter 2016 edition of Henshaws ‘Hello’ Newsletter.

The days are getting darker and chillier, the mince pies are on the shop shelves and the John Lewis advert is on our televisions, which can only mean one thing… it’s almost Christmas.

We hope you enjoy the latest news and updates from our Community Services team, including our award winning ‘Pathway to Independence’ and new handy Life Hacks series. In this edition, you can read about what our Friendship Matters groups have been up to, including a tactile tour of the Victorian author Elizabeth Gaskell’s home, and find out more about our upcoming groups and events that you can get involved with.

You’ll also hear from Sylvia, who kindly shared her story on Charles Bonnet Syndrome in the magazine ‘Chat’, which is distributed to over 320,000 people UK wide, and did a fantastic job in raising the profile of a little-known condition.

Our fundraising team have been busy with the brand new Christmas raffle and putting together the final touches to our Carols by Candlelight, which is set to once again fill Manchester Cathedral with Christmas cheer. Thank you to everyone who has been buying tickets so far, and we hope you can continue spreading the word to friends and family so we can raise as much money as possible to keep our services going.

On behalf of all of us at Henshaws, we hope you have a wonderful, happy and healthy festive period. Enjoy

3

reading our round off to 2016, and I look forward to catching up with you in 2017!

Robert Cooper, Director of Services, North West and North East

4

Henshaws StoriesSylvia WoodWe are very grateful to our group member, Sylvia Wood, for speaking out about her experience of Charles Bonnet Syndrome in a recent edition of ‘Chat Magazine’ (15th September) to raise awareness about the condition.

Sylvia, who was registered blind in 2012, describes her experience. “I was at home when I suddenly saw 10 children sitting on my living room floor. What on earth? I spluttered, blinking frantically. The image disappeared & I knew what I’d seen wasn’t real - it was like my mind was playing tricks on me. Over the next few months it kept happening; the images would last for seconds then disappear when I blinked. I worried that I might be going senile, but I was too scared to mention anything to my husband or my GP.”

It was only when Sylvia heard a friend at Henshaws talking about a similar experience that she discovered she had Charles Bonnet Syndrome, a condition that can be caused by the brain’s reaction to vision loss. “There’s no cure, but I was just so relieved I wasn’t going mad,” Sylvia says. “Now I’m learning to live with my hallucinations, but when I first started seeing things it was terrifying - that’s why I’m telling my story. I hope I can help other people experiencing symptoms like mine. Hallucinations might just be your eyes playing tricks, so please don’t suffer in silence, fearing the worst.”

5

If you would like information, support or advice about Charles Bonnet Syndrome, please get in touch with our First Step team on 0161 872 1234.Community Services NewsConquering Digital Accessibility for Disabled People – new eBook chapterWe’ve released the latest chapter of our eBook ‘step-by-step guides to living with disabilities’ - our free, practical guide which is written for and by people living with disabilities. Chapter 4 features finding and using digital devices which can support visually impaired people within their working and day-to-day lives, and shares our volunteer Tom’s own personal tips.

If you’d like a copy of our book in Word or PDF, you can either visit henshaws.org.uk/ebook to download your free copy, or ask a member of staff.

Oldham TechTalk – last call for interested parties!In our last edition we let you know about our upcoming TechTalk group in Oldham, which will be formed next year. Thanks go to everyone who got back to us and, if you're still interested, don’t worry – you’ve still got (a bit of) time to get back to us.

TechTalk meets once a month, either at one of our hubs or virtually (via Skype, FaceTime, or by email) to share all the latest tech news, personal knowledge and experience. The group is a great mixture of beginners and experts, so there’ll be plenty of knowledge exchanged and peer-to-peer support.

The first group meeting will be introductory, where we can assess the level of knowledge and people’s interests 6

for future meetings; it is free of charge, although a suggested contribution of £2 helps support it. To register your interest, get in touch with Mark Belcher at mark.belcher@henshaws.org.uk or ring 0161 872 1234.

Congratulations to our Skillstep graduatesWe’d like to say a huge congratulations to our latest Skillstep group, who have now finished their work placements. The group concluded their 12-week course with a presentation, where they described Skillstep as a “turning point” in their lives – which we think is a brilliant way to describe it!

Funded by the Big Lottery Fund, Skillstep is a course which blends IT, career guidance and work placement – and over 90% of people continue into further education, voluntary work or employment. Our next course is from 10th January - 30th March 2017, with eight places available. If you’re ready to start your new ‘turning point’, please contact Julie Parrish as soon as possible on 0161 872 1234.

Henshaws Life HacksAt Henshaws, our ultimate goal is to create an ‘accessible community’, where anyone with a visual impairment and their caring network of family and friends can access support and knowledge to provide them with the opportunity to be the best they can be and go beyond expectations. You might have heard about our Life Hacks which we’ve started sharing this year. Our short videos and eBook share different 'tips, tricks and tech', covering everything from managing money to getting around in the garden, with the aim of helping those living with sight loss lead a more independent life. 7

In 'Hello', we’ve started sharing any great tips we get and in this edition, Trefor Jones from Todmorden shares this top tip: when baking a pie, you can tell when the crust is done using a colour reader. Before it’s cooked, the reader will say the pastry is ‘light yellow’ and, when you think it’s ready, check again with the colour reader - it should now say ‘dark yellow’. A great tip for the perfect pastry, especially when you’re baking mince pies ready for Christmas!If you have a life hack that works well for you, get in touch at stories@henshaws.org.uk, so we can share your useful tip with others. If you’d like to see more of our Life Hacks, you can check out 52 other 'tricks, tips & tech' as well as our short videos at henshaws.org.uk/lifehacks.

Our Pathway to Independence is award winningWe're very pleased to be able to announce that in October, our team won a national award at the UK Visionary conference for their Pathway to Independence delivery model.The annual Visionary conference shares best practice to improve the quality of service provided to people with sight loss across the UK, and our Pathway to Independence model won ‘Best Example of Service Delivery’. Fiona, Helen, Mark and Rob were there to receive the award, and even demonstrated our new Life Hacks videos and some of our ‘I Can Do It’ activities.Last year, our ‘Pathway to Independence’ model trained 607 people, supported 935 new people and provided, on average, 402 people with new friendship opportunities every month. Well done to everyone involved!

& talking about awards…8

Volunteer newsWe are delighted to hear that Henshaws’ Volunteer Mary Gifford, our Art Galleries & Museums Group Leader, has been nominated for the Manchester 'Be Proud' Awards, run by Manchester City Council to celebrate the city’s army of volunteers who make Manchester great. Mary has made the shortlist (of three) in the ‘Unsung Hero’ Category. The winner will be announced at a Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony at Manchester Town Hall on the 2nd December. Many congratulations to Mary for this much deserved recognition for all her wonderful work.Fundraising UpdatesChristmas raffleThere’s still time to get your tickets for the Henshaws Christmas raffle and, with the chance to win up to £1,500 and support your Friendship Matters groups, your Christmas could get off to a great start. Tickets are available online at henshaws.org.uk/raffle, or from Henshaws staff members, until the draw on Wednesday 21st December. For more information, phone Holly in Fundraising on 0161 786 3656.Carol concertHenshaws Carols by Candlelight is back to entertain and enchant you with an evening of timeless carols at Manchester Cathedral on Wednesday 14th December at 7.30pm. We have some great performances lined up, including the return of Denise Leigh and Stefan Andrusyschyn, and guest performances from the Sale Salvation Army Brass Band and the Flixton Socialites WI choir. We will also be hearing from gold medal-winning Paralympian Hannah

9

Russell as she tells us all about her exciting Road to Rio and back. You can enjoy a complimentary mince pie and glass of mulled wine during the interval and, at just £10 for adults and £6 for concessions, this is the perfect way to start a perfect Christmas. You can purchase your tickets by ringing 0161 876 3656 or at henshawscarolsconcert.eventbrite.co.uk.

*Special offer* We’re offering 3 tickets for the price of 2 if you want to bring friends or family to the concert, so make sure you get yours before we sell-out!

SkydiversCongratulations to our three jumpers Sam, Jake and Callum, who took the 12,000ft plunge out of an aeroplane on 9th October – all in the name of fundraising for Henshaws. Our apprentice Callum raised a whopping £783.05 for his skydive, which was an amazing achievement, and we’re hugely grateful to all three for taking this challenge of a lifetime for Henshaws.

If you fancy chucking yourself out of a 'plane in the name of charity, our sky-dive day will be back in May 2017. To express your interest, call Rachael on 0161 876 3656 or email rachael.pratt@henshaws.org.uk.

Christmas Quiz – true or false?Challenge your friends and family to our Christmas quiz and test your seasonal expertise (answers are on page 19).

True or False?...10

(1) In Band Aid's song ‘Do They Know It's Christmas’, the opening words "It's Christmas time..." were sung by David Bowie.(2) Per person, the USA eats more turkey than any other country in the world.(3) Brenda Lee was 13 years old when she recorded 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree'.(4) In Japan, KFC is very popular to visit on Christmas Day.(5) 'White Christmas' by Bing Crosby is the all-time, bestselling single worldwide.(6) Coca-Cola is the reason Santa Claus always wears red – before that, he used to wear green.(7) Charles Dickens was born on Christmas Day.(8) In Iceland, children are given gifts on each of the 13 days leading up to Christmas.(9) There is a man whose job includes checking the roof of the Met Office in London on Christmas Day for signs of snowflakes.(10) Reindeer lose their antlers every year.Christmas RecipeBubble and Squeak – the classic Boxing Day favourite to use up all those Christmas leftovers!

Prep: 5 mins Cook: 20 mins Serves: 4

Ingredients500g leftover mashed potatoes or diced boiled potatoes/roast potatoes,500g leftover cooked cabbage/cooked Brussels sprouts, finely chopped60g buttersalt and black peppercarrot, diced (optional)11

MethodMix the cabbage or sprouts with the mashed or diced cooked potatoes and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Method if using mashed potatoes:Heat the butter in a large frying pan, add the potato mixture and smooth it flat with a spatula. Fry over a medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes or until underside is brown, and the pan sizzles, bubbles and squeaks!Place a large plate over the pan, then turn both over so that the bubble and squeak is on the plate.Heat the remaining butter in the pan and carefully slide the bubble and squeak back in the pan. Cook again over a medium heat until the other side is golden brown.To serve, cut into wedges – you can have the bubble and squeak with bacon and eggs for breakfast, or even add bread and butter or ham for dinner.Method if using diced boiled or roast potatoes:Mix all the vegetables together as previously instructed, and just fry them in a frying pan. There is no need to press them down into a cake - stir them regularly to achieve an all-over colour, and then serve with a spoon. Enjoy!

Groups’ Updates

Henshaws Friendship Matters Groups

Our Friendship Matters groups have had a lovely autumn full of activities, music and art. The ukulele music group ‘Ukahalee’ came to perform for our Tuesday Group, 12

covering lots of classics including ‘King of the Road’ and ‘Island of Dreams’, and filled the Manchester centre with music for the afternoon.

Can you imagine sitting at the table that Victorian novelist Elizabeth Gaskell used to write at? Our Art Galleries & Museums group got to experience just that in October when they had a wonderful visit to her home, with object handling to get a real tactile experience.

Our Arts and Crafts Group went to visit the Henshaws Arts & Crafts Centre in Knaresborough, where they had a guided tour round the studios, a tasty lunch in the café, and got stuck into the pottery workshop, creating lovely Christmas pots (pictured above).

Henshaws runs a range of Social and Hobby groups, so call Kay George or Charley Keyes on 0161 872 1234 for information. The following is our current timetable, but be aware that days and times may be subject to change. Please note that the Wednesday Group now meet at 12.30. Our Social Groups are a chance to have a brew and a chat and enjoy a range of information sessions and activities including quizzes, games, musical entertainment, meals and trips out.

Tuesday Group meet weekly,1.30-3.30pm at Atherton House in Old Trafford13

Broadwalk Group meet on the first Tuesday of each month, 10.30am-12.30pm at Pendleton Gateway in SalfordI Spy Group meet every other Tuesday,2-4pm at the Rainbow Rooms in Eccles, SalfordWednesday Group meet weekly,12.30-2.30pm at Atherton House in Old TraffordEye Group meet every Wednesday,12.30-2.30pm at Wardley Community Centre in Swinton, SalfordEvening Social Group meet every other month on Thursday evenings, usually for a pub get-together for a drink and a chat.Glaucoma Group meet on the second Monday of each month,12.30-2.30pm at Atherton House in Old Trafford

We also run a number of Hobby Groups, providing opportunities to share common interests or develop new ones.

Guitar Jamming Group meet every Monday,10am-2pm at Atherton House in Old Trafford, and is a small friendly group who get together to practise and play and sometimes perform. If you’ve always wanted to learn to play but never got round to it, we also offer guitar tuition with our experienced volunteers, so please get in touch.

Film Group meet on the first Wednesday of each month,

14

1-4pm at Atherton House in Old Traffordto watch and discuss the latest film releases, shown on our big flat screen TV for a small donation of £3. We feature a variety of films across a broad range of genres, all with audio description.

Yoga Group meet every Tuesday,11.45am-1.15pm at Atherton House in Old TraffordLet go and unwind at our weekly sessions. Yoga focuses on strength, flexibility and breathing to improve balance, lower- body strength and boost physical and mental well-being. Learn this ancient form of exercise as part of a small, friendly group, which is suitable for beginners.

Braille Group drop-in meet every Friday,10-2pm at Atherton House in Old TraffordContinue to develop your knowledge and enjoyment of braille as part of a friendly group.

Arts & Crafts Group meet every other Friday,1-3pm at Atherton House in Old TraffordCome and get creative with us at Atherton House every fortnight in a lovely relaxed environment. The group covers a variety of Arts and Crafts such as painting, tactile pictures and model making.

IT & Touch Typing drop-in meet every Friday,10-2pm at Atherton House in Old Traffordand is a friendly and supportive group for people wanting to develop their computer skills.Henshaws Hikers meet on the first Thursday of each month,

15

9.30am-4pm, at Atherton House in Old Trafford, then go on to various locations.This group is a great way to stay active, explore the local landscape and meet new people - and there's usually a stop-off at a pub for refreshments and a well-earned rest! Walks are up to a distance of 7 miles.

Tech Talk meet on the last Wednesday of each month,10-12pm at Atherton House in Old TraffordThe world is changing fast and it can be hard to keep up with new technology, so come and join this friendly group and discover what’s out there that’s been designed to make life easier (and whether it actually works!).

Art Galleries & Museums Group meet on Thursday, once a month, at a variety of Museums & Galleries across Manchester.Group leader Mary Gifford takes an escorted group to a museum or gallery event, many of which include audio description and sometimes a touch and handling element, and are an ideal way for blind and visually impaired people to appreciate the arts. The events finish with refreshments and time for a chat; where possible, transport is provided for the participants. For more information about the group, please ring the Henshaws office.

Future visits:Thursday 8 December 10.30am – 12.30pm – visit to The Lowry Arts Centre to the “Perpetual Movement” exhibition on contemporary art, dance and ideas, and is curated in collaboration with Rambert, Britain's national dance company, as it celebrates 90 ground-breaking years. Talk by Brian Dunk, described by Anne Hornsby.16

Thursday 26 January, 10.30am–12.30pmTour at Manchester Art Gallery of “The Edwardians”, a special exhibition illustrating the glamour, rural nostalgia, evocative landscape and the city of the 1900s. With curator Hannah Williamson and description by Anne Hornsby. (Postponed visit from November.)Thursday 2 March, 11.00am–1.00pmVisit to Gallery Oldham to “The Big Big Camera” exhibition with a talk by the curator and photographer Ian Beesley, described by Anne Hornsby.

Note: All days and timings can be subject to change.

Arts and Culture

Making Conversation workshop at Manchester Art Gallery These lively sociable workshops are led by artist Naomi Kendrick and supported by audio description. They open to everyone and take place every third Thursday in the month, from 1-4pm. Future dates: 15 December- Featuring the exhibition Strange and Familiar, photography 19 January- theme to be decided16 February - theme to be decided

Materials and refreshments are provided, and Manchester Art Gallery may be able to help with travel costs/arrangements. If you would like to attend, you will need to book a place before the session. Call Meg Parnell at the Gallery on 0161 235 8855 or email: m.parnell@manchester.gov.uk for further information.17

Audio Described Events: December 2016 – March 2017The following list has been compiled from information provided by Anne Hornsby of Minds Eye Professional Description Service, The Lowry and Vocaleyes.Most theatre performances include a touch-tour about an hour before the performance and you can check with the Box Office or Mind’s Eye for details. You can also check ticket prices (including concessions) and book your seats and headsets in advance through the Box Office. NB/ Most theatres offer special prices to blind and visually impaired people, so please enquire; the telephone numbers are at the end of the listings.

December2 7pm Cinderella Bolton Octagon3 2pm Ghosts HOME3 2pm The Red Shoes The Lowry

(Matthew Bourne)13 7:30pmSleeping Beauty Oldham Coliseum18 11am Rambert Exhibition The Lowry18 2pm Chitty Chitty Bang Bang The Lowry20 2pm Snow White Liverpool Empire22 1:30pmThe Star Liverpool Playhouse

January 20177 2:30pmSweet Charity Royal Exchange12 1:30pmBeauty and the Beast Liverpool Everyman12 7pm Beauty and the Beast Liverpool Everyman18

16 7:30pmBilly Elliot Palace Theatre26 7:30pmEducating Rita Bolton Octagon

February16 7:30pmGaslight Oldham Coliseum24 7:30pmFunny Girl Palace Theatre

March6 5pm Ashes Bolton Octagon9 7:30pmFiddler on the Roof Liverpool Everyman11 2pm Cinderella (Opera North) The Lowry

Useful telephone numbers:Mind's Eye 01204 522481 or 07889 232438Bolton Octagon Theatre 01204 520661HOME 0161 200 1500Liverpool Empire Theatre 0844 871 7677Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse 0151 709 4776Oldham Coliseum Theatre 0161 624 1731Palace Theatre & Opera House, Manchester 0161 245 6605Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester 0845 450 4808The Lowry 0843 208 6000The Lowry Galleries 0161 876 2057VocalEyes 0207 375 1043

19

A Royal Exchange Theatre and Graeae Theatre Company co-production – ‘The House of Bernarda Alba’ by Federico Garcia Lorca - 3 – 25 February 2017

Two award-winning companies, Graeae and the Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester, will collaborate on a major new co-production of Lorca’s final masterpiece, ‘The House of Bernarda Alba’, with internationally acclaimed actor Kathryn Hunter leading an all-female cast.

‘The House of Bernarda Alba’ is a bitter and darkly comic tragedy charting the tyranny, jealousy and desperate struggle for freedom that ultimately tears apart a mother and her daughters. In Graeae’s trademark style, all performances will creatively integrate British Sign Language, Audio Description and captioning, while showcasing the incredible talent of deaf and disabled actors.

Royal Exchange Theatre – New Access User GroupOur new Access User Group is part of our commitment to making the Royal Exchange Theatre and its programme of work as inclusive, connected and audience-centred as possible. We are actively seeking more ways to reflect, reach out and make changes where needed, and would like your input and feedback.

The Access User Group is a forum for discussion, held at the Royal Exchange Theatre, which meets quarterly with occasional additional meetings as required. Light refreshments are provided and we can reimburse local travel costs. If you are interested in being part of this group and helping us to shape the future, please email access@royalexchange.co.uk or call 0161 615 6723 with your contact details and access requirements.20

Other News, Services and Useful NumbersGreat new opportunity for aspiring runnersIf you fancy taking up running this winter, England Athletics in Manchester are holding running taster sessions for visually impaired people, beginners or those who already have a bit of experience, and have 60 trained guides ready to be partnered. If this is something that interests you, call Tess from England Athletics on 07718 394821.

Stay well this winterHenshaws is supporting the 2016/17 NHS 'Stay Well This Winter' campaign. The NHS have shared their five top tips to keep well:

(1) Make sure you get your 'flu jabThe 'flu jab is free for those aged 65 or over, those having a long-term health condition, children aged 2, 3 or 4, or are in school years 1, 2 or 3; it may also be available if you’re someone’s main carer. Speak to your GP or pharmacist, or visit nhs.uk/getflujab.

(2) Keep your home at 18°C (65°F) or higher if you can.Keeping warm over the winter months can help to prevent colds, 'flu and more serious health problems. Make sure you wrap up and keep the windows closed.

(3) Take advantage of financial schemes and discounts to help you pay for heating.You can make sure you’re receiving all the help you’re entitled to at www.gov.uk/phe/keep-warm.

21

(4) Visit your local pharmacist as soon as you start to feel unwell with the symptoms of a winter illness.At the first sign of a respiratory winter illness, or even if it’s just a cough or cold, get advice from your pharmacist, before it gets more serious. The sooner you get advice from a pharmacist the better!

(5) Look out for other people who may need a bit of extra help over the winter.Try and keep in touch with friends, neighbours and family and ask if they need any practical help, or if they’re feeling under the weather. Make sure they can get a supply of food and any prescription medicines before the Christmas holidays start and if bad weather is forecast.

For more information and advice about staying well this winter, visit www.nhs.uk/staywell.

Christmas Quiz answers1 – True 2 – False 3 – True 4 - True5 – True 6 – False 7 – False 8 - True9 – False 10 - True

Christmas opening hours

Our Manchester centre at Atherton House will close at 4.30pm on Thursday 22nd December and will re-open at 9am on Tuesday 3rd

January 2017.

Get involvedIf you think your family or friends would be interested in hearing about our services, volunteering at Henshaws, or taking part in our Christmas raffle – please get in touch!22

Our friendly First Step team is here on 0161 872 1234 to offer any advice, support or information about our services.You can get involved by supporting our services, whether by purchasing raffle tickets or coming along to one of our events, and we’re always looking for volunteers and ambassadors. Please contact our fundraising team on 0161 876 3656, or email fundraising@henshaws.org.uk.

and of course, please help us spread the word!

Once you have read or listened to our newsletter, please pass it on to a friend or family member, or you could enquire at your local community centre, doctor’s surgery, church or library to see if you could leave it there for others to read or listen to. We also have leaflets and posters, explaining who we are and what we do – maybe you could ask about leaving some of these as well as the newsletter; you can get a supply of these by calling us on 0161 872 1234.

Remember, the more people know about us and support us, the more support we can offer visually impaired people, so please do all you can to help us get the word out.

From all of us here at Henshaws, we would like to wish you and your family a happy and healthy Christmas & New Year.

DisclaimerAlthough every attempt is made to ensure that the information contained within this newsletter is timely and accurate,

23

Henshaws cannot be held responsible for any information herein. This newsletter is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be either legally binding or contractual in nature.

24