SeeFact Issue 78 - May 2025

Table of Contents

Annual Open Day - Saturday 12 July

Our Annual Coffee Morning will take place on Saturday, 12 July, from 10 am to 1 pm, in the Lena Anderton Meeting Room on 31 Scott Street.

The Daily Living Shop will be open, and you can place orders on the day for products designed to make living with sight loss easier. This year, we have several new products: a talking air fryer and induction hob, a talking mobile phone, a simple voice recorder and more.

See Page 5 for more details on our new products.

About SeeFact

Welcome to the May 2025 edition of seefact. Our annual open day will take place on Saturday, 12 July from 10 am to 1 pm. We'll have our new 2 U stall, Second Hand VI Equipment and Raffle.

We have a selection of new products in our daily living shop, including a simple-to-use talking mobile phone and a talking air fryer. For more details, see page 5.

Our longest-serving Director, Joyce Hutchinson, who had been a Trustee since 1971, announced her retirement in January. She was awarded the Charities Mary Arnold Award at a ceremony attended by staff, fellow and former Directors -- Page 3.

The Priority Services Register lets you register with the Utility companies for extra support in the event of service disruptions. Our friends at Inspire Highfield can help you sign up -- Page 4.

Learn about two of the latest scams on page 7.

Team Sight Airedale

Registered Office: sight airedale, 1 Albert Street, Keighley, BD21 2AT.

The legal bit

Thank you Joyce

In January, Joyce Hutchinson, our longest-serving Director, retired. Joyce first became involved with the then Keighley and District Association for the Blind in 1971 as part of the Bingley Blind Home.

In December 2024, after 54 years of service, Joyce announced she would step down as a Director. In January, Joyce was presented with the Charities Mary Arnold Award, which recognises the work done by volunteers.

David Ogden, Chairman of sight airedale, said, "During my years with sight airedale, Joyce and Neville have been a great help to me and the other Directors. Thank you for all the time spent at board meetings, fundraising events, etc. Joyce was always willing and available to offer help when needed."

On behalf of everyone at sight airedale, we wish Joyce a happy and well-deserved retirement.

We are looking for volunteers to join our Board of Directors. Being a director means you have a say in how the charity is run. If this interests you, please get in touch with the helpline.

[Photo - A group of 11 people pose behind a large wooden table in an indoor setting. At the centre, a woman sits holding an award titled "Sight Airedale - The Mary Arnold Award". The background includes wall-mounted notices, a portrait, and a sign that reads "Tribute to Lena Anderton." .]

Thank you Steeton Knit, Natter Craft Group

On 13 February 2025, the Steeton Knit, Natter and Craft Group held a Bingo Night in aid of sight airedale. The night raised £345, which was used to purchase a talking mobile phone for our resource centre.

Steeton Knit and Natter Group meets at The Hub -- at Skipton Road in the village -- every Monday and Friday from 1 pm to 4 pm

Energy Support for Vulnerable Customers

The priority services register allows utility companies to identify customers who are vulnerable either through age, illness or disability. By signing up to the priority services register.

You can get additional support in the event of service disruptions, such as advance notification of power cuts and extra support whilst the supply is disrupted. Other help includes a password scheme to help you identify callers, the ability to nominate someone else you trust to receive communications from your supplier,

Get a Carbon Monoxide Detector

Our friends at Inspire Highfield are offering Carbon Monoxide detectors to vulnerable households,

Carbon Monoxide is a colourless, odourless, deadly gas. Poisoning symptoms include Headache, Dizziness, Weakness, Upset Stomach, Vomiting, Chest Pain and Confusion.

To protect yourself, ensure a gas-safe engineer services your gas appliances annually and install a Carbon Monoxide Detector.

Find out more

For more information on the priority services register or Carbon Monoxide Detectors, contact Warris Ali at Inspire Highfield on 07889 563347. You can also register for the priority services register at https://www.northerngasnetworks.co.uk/network-supply/priority-customers/

New Products for 2025

We're pleased to announce that we have a number of new products for 2025, including a talking air fryer and talking induction hob, new lighting, a simple to use talking mobile phone, Simple to use Voice Recorder and talking Calculator.

MiniVision 2+ Talking Mobile Phone - £342.

An Easy to use talking mobile phone. Ideal for people who don't need a smartphone but just want to make and receive calls and text messages.

(image description: The image shows a white mobile phone with a black screen, sitting in its black charging cradle. The phone features large, tactile black buttons with white lettering and numbers, designed for easy dialing. Above the keypad is a speaker grill and a rectangular screen that is currently dark. The word "Kapsys" is printed in small, dark lettering above the screen on the phone and again in white on the front of the charging cradle. The cradle is a simple, black rectangular base that securely holds the phone upright. The phone and cradle rest on a light brown wooden surface. The background is slightly blurred, showing a room with light-colored cabinets and a blue object on a shelf. The overall impression is of a user-friendly mobile phone with accessibility features.)

MicroSpeak Plus - 1GB - £60.00

A simple to use voice recorder with large tactile buttons and voice prompts. Good for making quick voice memos, the 1GB card supplied can store up to 15 hours of audio.

(Image Description: a small, bright yellow voice recorder with a black speaker grill at the top. On the front, there is a small rectangular screen and several blue buttons for playback control, along with a large red record button. A small blue switch is visible on the side. The recorder rests on a light brown wooden surface. )

RNIB Communiplayer USB player - £39.99

A USB Player and Bluetooth speaker. Easy to find play/pause button. rechargeable batteries and a headphone socket.

(Image Description: a compact, cube-shaped black and white device with a speaker grill on one side. On the top surface is a large, round, white button. The word "Communiplayer" is printed in small white letters on the front. A USB memory stick attached to a key ring is visible in the background. The device sits on a light brown wooden surface.)

Amplidect Combi 295 & Photodect 295 - £70 (with optional Photodect Handset £90)

Big-button corded phone with cordless handset, answer machine, Optional simplified handset with five memory buttons available.

(image description - Picture a set of white telephones designed for ease of use. In the center is a base unit with a large keypad featuring oversized black numbers and letters on white buttons. Above the keypad is a wide screen. To the left and right are two cordless handsets, each sitting in its charging cradle. The handset on the left has four clear picture buttons for quick dialing and a speakerphone option. The handset on the right has a simpler keypad and a screen at the top. All three units have the "Geemarc" logo. They are placed on a light brown wooden surface, with a slightly blurred background showing office equipment. )

W28 Radio Controlled Talking Watch - £40.95.

Automatically sets itself using the atomic time signals. Speaks time, and date. Available with a expanding bracelet or black leather strap.

(image description - Imagine a stylish wristwatch with a silver, slightly rectangular case and a round white face. Bold black numbers mark the 12, 3, 6, and 9 positions, while simple black lines indicate the other hours. The watch has a wide, silver, expanding metal bracelet. It rests on a soft, light grey cushion, which in turn sits on a light brown wooden surface. The background is slightly out of focus, showing a dark shelf with various items.)

Safety Sensor NightLight and Torch - £21.90

Make sure you always have a torch ready. This 3-in-1 light offers motion-activated nighttime illumination and automatically lights up during power cuts thanks to its rechargeable design.

(Image Description: a compact, white night light plugged into a wall socket. The main body of the light is cylindrical with a rounded top. It has a power button in the centre and a sensor near the bottom. The light sits on a small, white charging base that is plugged into a standard UK wall socket with a red indicator light. The wall behind the socket is textured and painted a bright yellow, with a white dado rail running horizontally.)

Talking Air Fryer - £100.95

Air Fryers have revolutionised how we cook, and now they can talk! Choose from 5 presets or set temperature and time manually. Tactile buttons and all functions are spoken.

(Image Description: black air fryer with a glossy finish. It has a cylindrical shape with a handle extending from the front. A digital display on the front shows "160 °C" in bright blue, along with touch-sensitive buttons for temperature and timer control. The words "COBOLT Speechmaster" are visible above the display. The air fryer sits on a light brown wooden surface, with a slightly blurred background showing a blue wall and a wooden cabinet. )

Talking Induction Hob (£95.95) and Pan Pickle (£14.50)

This single induction hob will announce the selected temperature or preset. Pan Pickles (the banana like objects on the hob) prevent pans moving on induction hobs, or bowls moving on smooth surfaces.

(Image Description: a sleek, black induction hob with a smooth, shiny surface. Two bright yellow, curved guards (pan pickles) are placed on either side of the cooking area, designed to keep pans steady. The hob has a control panel at the front with touch-sensitive buttons indicated by small icons and red lights. The words "COBOLT Speechmaster" are printed in white on the panel. A small information card with the "PANpickle" logo stands upright at the back of the hob. The hob rests on a light brown wooden surface. )

Talking A4 Desk Calculator - £30.95

Speaks keys pressed and announces the result of the calculation. Percentage Key, Memory Keys, Square root. Repeat function. Headphone socket

(image description: The image shows a large, silver talking calculator. It features oversized black buttons with white numerals and function symbols, making them easy to see. Above the buttons is a wide, clear digital display. Several smaller, grey buttons are located at the top, including controls for volume, units/digits, repeat, and AC/ON. The calculator has standard arithmetic functions as well as memory keys (M+, M-, MR, MC), percentage, square root, and +/-. It rests on a light brown wooden surface, with the camera positioned at a slight angle to capture the details of the keypad and display.)

Multilight Pro Pocket - £25

These pocket lights are designed to make reading in dimly lit areas easier. They're available in three colour temperatures and you can switch the brightness between 100% and 70%.

(Image description: three small, rectangular, black and white reading lights placed onto the pages of an open book. The book lies flat on a light brown wooden surface. The lights are positioned to illuminate different sections of the text. Each light has a different colour temperature, ranging from yellow, white to blue. The page on the left has dense columns of text, while the page on the right has wider paragraphs. The title "Sands Guide" is visible at the top of the right-hand page. )

Daylight Twist 2 Go Portable Lamp - £75

This portable rechargeable table lamp features a fully adjustable head allowing you to have light where you need it, and three brightness levels.

(Image Description: A modern, portable lamp designed for reading. It has a white, slender base with a teal accent at the bottom and a matching teal curved handle at the top. Extending from the base is an adjustable arm supporting a long, curved, light beige lampshade. The lamp is positioned on a light brown wooden desk next to an open book with white pages and black text. The background is slightly out of focus, showing a wall and a cabinet. )

NHS Scam Calls

You receive a call from someone claiming to be from the NHS offering you a free alarm pendant. However, they need your card details to cover the cost of installation. Other variations of this scam are offering vitamin supplements or saying your GP needs to update your details to avoid being suspended or that they've received your referral and need you to confirm information. The NHS will never cold call you this way and never ask for payment details over the phone.

If you have any concerns about a call you receive claiming to be from the NHS, ask for the person's details and then call the hospital or your GP directly. Don't trust caller ID, as it can be faked.

Scammers also target people with personal alarms (telecare or Safe and Sound), claiming to be a new provider and asking for payment details to set up a new direct debit over the phone. Neither Bradford Council nor Safe and Sound (the provider) will ask you to pay for telecare over the phone.

Live Well with Sight Loss Podcast

The Live Well with Sight Loss podcast brings informative and inspiring talks about living with visual impairment. We invite expert guests to share their knowledge, personal experiences, and practical advice each month during our live Zoom sessions, which are later released as audio episodes.

From medical insights on conditions like Charles Bonnet Syndrome, Macular Degeneration, and Glaucoma to practical skills such as cooking without sight and optimising lighting. Past guests have also included inspirational people living with sight loss, such as visually impaired artists, poets, comedians and athletes.

Simply search for Rainbow Group - Live Well with Sight Loss in your favourite podcast app or visit our website at https://livewellwithsightloss.buzzsprout.com/. You can also join our Monthly Zooms 2nd Thursday of the month at 10 am by visiting https://tinyurl.com/rainbowgroup.

For £1 a week you can make a difference to the lives of local sight impaired people

Like many charities we have seen a fall in income due to the pandemic

To make a one off or regular donation visit our website at www.sightairedale.org.uk or call our helpline to learn how to set up a standing order

Thank you to Keighley Playhouse for their help in printing this newsletter

For details on future performances at the playhouse visit

www.keighleyplayhouse.co.uk

100+ Club

To renew you can either:- Renew at our open day on Saturday 26 November Call into the office, Monday to Thursday 9.30am to 12.30pm or Post a cheque made payable to sight airedale Renew via bank transfer - Please call the office for our bank details.

Drawn on the 2nd Monday of the month, winners will be notified.

Small change makes a big difference.

How we make a difference

Our Social Centre Keighley, award winning virtual events and Talking book library with over 2,000 titles on MP3/CD and memory stick help alleviate isolation and loneliness.

We provide support to local sight support groups in Ilkley, Burley-in-Wharfedale and the Airedale Macular Society

We help people retain their independence through our daily living shop, magnifier assessments and technology information service*.

We give people the opportunity to learn new skills through our one-to-one computer classes and Braille for Beginners course.

We keep sight impaired people informed about important issues, through our free newsletter, available in five different formats.

We want to be sure that there is someone available to give you the best service we can. Please ring our Helpline to make an appointment for the shop, magnifier assessments and technology information service.

How you can help

Local Support Groups

Bingley Social Centre

Keighley Social Centre

Airedale Macular Society

Ilkley - INSIGHT Group

Burley-in-Whafedale Hockney Group

If you would like more information on any of these groups, please call our helpline.

Local Talking Newspapers

Craven Cassette (Craven Herald and Dalesman).

Keighley and District Talking Newspaper (Keighley News)

Pendle Voice (Barnoldswick and Earby Times).

Wharfedale Talking Newspaper (Ilkley Gazette and Dalesman)

Talking Telegraph (Bradford Telegraph and Argus)