winter isite 2012

Help us light up lives this ChristmasOver time Royal Blind has helped transform the lives of blind and disabled peopleand every donation we receive really does make a difference. If you would like to make a donation or set up a direct debit then please complete this form andreturn it in the Freepost envelope provided. Your support is really appreciated andtogether we can light up lives. Have a very Happy Christmas

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agreed. If you request Royal Blind to collect a payment,confirmation of the amount and date will be given to youat the time of the request. If an error is made in thepayment of your Direct Debit, by Royal Blind or your bankor building society, you are entitled to a full andimmediate refund of the amount paid from your bank orbuilding society. If you receive a refund you are not

entitled to, you must pay it back when Royal Blind asksyou to. You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time bysimply contacting your bank or building society. Writtenconfirmation may be required. Please also notify us.

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ORIGINATOR’S REFERENCE

iSITE 17

FOR OFFICE USE ONLY

M M Y Y

You CCV is the last three digits of thenumber printed on the signature stripon the reverse of your card

MEDALS MAYHEMOlympic fever takes holdof our Braeside Residents.

WALK IN MY SHOESTeigan experiences lifebeing blind for a day.

VIVE LA FRANCE!The French trip our pupilswill never forget.

ONBOARD THE TRIPDOWN MEMORY LANEScottish War Blinded takea ride on a vintage bus.

WINTER 2012

Forward Vision offers young adults aged 18-25 who have avisual impairment and disability,care and support with person-centred focus on strengths andabilities, encouraging greaterindependence. The Scottish Braille Press is a

leading provider of high qualityalternative formats. The presshas years of experience, backedup with continuing investmentin technology and skills toensure we can supply the bestthat is available for ourcustomer needs.

We provide assistanceto people who havebeen members ofthe armed forcesand who are blindor partially sighted

Braeside House is our homethat provides first class servicesand facilities for older peoplewho are blind or visuallyimpaired, offering bothresidential and nursing care in purpose built premises.

Kidscene is anintegrated afterschool club whichoffers after school care tochildren attending the RoyalBlind School as well as localschools. The club aims toprovide a safe, secure andrelaxed environment for thechildren in our care.

The Royal Blind School offers thehighest quality of education andcare to meet the needs of youngpeople with a visual impairment.Our two campuses includeprimary and secondary facilitiessupporting pupils with additionalsupport needs.

iSITE IN ALTERNATIVE FORMATSThis magazine is available in large print,Braille and audio CD. If you would like toreceive iSite in an alternative format, orknow of someone who may wish to receiveit in an alternative format contact ColleenWatt on 0131 229 1456.

MAKING A DONATION TO ROYAL BLINDEvery donation could make such a difference. You can donate online at www.royalblind.org, by telephone: 0131 229 1456 or by sending a cheque, (made payable to Royal Blind) to Fundraising, Royal Blind, P.O. box No. 500, Gillespie Crescent, Edinburgh, EH10 4HZ.

YOUR GENEROSITY WILL HELP THOSE WHO ARE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED TO SEE A DIFFERENCE. TOGETHER WE ARE LIGHTING UP LIVES.

Every hour of everyday we spend £1,445directly on care,education andemployment forthose we care for.

Reg. Charity: SC017167

Reg. Charity: SC002652

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The Royal Blind School

Each year all the children from the Royal BlindSchool get creative in their art class, makingfestive designs for the school’s annualChristmas Card Competition.

This year’s wonderful winning designs havecome from Myles Fleming at our CraigmillarPark Campus and a jolly group effort from Tay class at Canaan Lane; Joseph Barnes,Connor Bryson, Becca Fraser, Kit Harvey-Rankinand Lauren Wilson.

It’s that time of year again...The Royal Blind SchoolChristmas cards are here!

by Tay class atCanaan Lane;Joseph Barnes,Connor Bryson,Becca Fraser,Kit Harvey-Rankin andLauren Wilson.

Amanda Roberts

Katie Jane Girvan

The cards can be bought from our website

www.royalblind.org/shopand all proceeds go to the Royal Blind School.

Myles Fleming

Stefan Nelson

Easyfundraising.org.uk helps charities to raise money whentheir supporters shop online. It works in a similar way to manyother loyalty shopping sites, but instead of earning pointswhen you shop, you raise a donation for your cause! It's as simple as that! You can shop at over 2,000 well knownstores and each will donate up to 15% of what you spend. Logon today and help Royal Blind to Light Up Lives this Christmas.

www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/royalblind

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iSite Magazine www.royalblind.org

The Royal Blind School enjoyed the thrilland drama of the Paralympic Games ona personal level as we watched formerpupils Libby Clegg, James Clegg andLee Brunton represent Team GB inathletics, swimming andfive-a-side footballrespectively.

They allproducedoutstandingperformancesand we wereleft in a frenzywhen James andLibby each earned aplace on the podium withinthe span of an hour! James took the bronzemedal in the S12 100m Butterfly while Libby andher guide runner, Mikhail Huggins, finished theT12 100m Sprint final with silver medals.

Libby joked about a sibling rivalry after herperformance, saying, ‘It had to be done – Icouldn’t have my little brother beating me. But not to take away from him, it’s fantastic.’

Alreadyoutstandingambassadorsfor sport,Libby, Jamesand Lee alsoembody thefact thatpossibility and

success areunlimited for an

individual with avisual impairment.

‘Libby, James and Leewere all great rolemodels while atschool,’ says CariMannion, DeputeHead Teacher at the

Royal Blind School. ‘Allthree demonstrated what

people who are visuallyimpaired CAN do. They work withdetermination and great spirit to do their verybest – they have been, and continue to be, aninspiration to us all!’

Congratulations to Libby, James and Leeon their Paralympic success this summer!

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The Royal Blind School The Royal Blind School

PODIUM GLORY AT LONDON 2012 FOR ROYAL BLINDSCHOOL PUPILS

Royal Blind School pupils and staffwere thrilled to be special guestsat The Yard special needsplayground on Friday 5th October.The Yard has been selected as theBBC’s DIY SOS project for thisyear’s Children in Need programme.

DIYSOS

Cycle SmoothiesOn Tuesday 9th October, Patricia and Sandra from Scotmid rode into the Royal Blind School with their special fair trade smoothie making bike and a wonderful array of fair trade fruit for the pupils to turn into their own delicious andnutritious smoothies. Once the important fruit selection was made, thepupils were then able to climb aboard the specialstatic bicycle, which was attached to the blender, andcycle their way to a smoothie! Harrison Lovett put SirChris Hoy to shame with his speed, working through

the gears andpushing hard, while otherstook a took a leaf out ofBradley Wiggins' book bytaking it nice and steady. Aftereach pupil had taken part, thepupils got to quench their thirstwith a glass of their very own smoothie.They all agreed that they were the best fruitsmoothies they had ever tasted! Thanks to all atScotmid for making it such an enjoyable morning.

DIY SOS

The sun shone on the day and we joined almost100 other guests, families and children for ‘The Big Reveal’, the moment when the staff,volunteers and other friends of The Yard were allowed in for the first time to see the transformation.Pupils and staff enjoyed meeting Nick Knowlesand his team as well as Pudsey Bear and some ofthe 200+ contractors and volunteers who gavetheir services free of charge for 10 days in orderto carry out the work. There was a loud cheer asthey all trooped into the Yard to be thanked forall they had done.Some of our old favourite pieces of equipmentare still there, like the wheelchair accessibleswing boat, the slides and raised walkways, butall have been given a new look or been replaced.Now there is a sensory garden area, a waterfeature, sand pit, ample indoor play shed space

as well as walkways and a solar dome. Newgarden and picnic areas have also been installed.The hit for many of our pupils though was theset of working traffic lights complete withpelican crossing at the crossing point of two of the paths!The Yard’s indoor space has also beentransformed. There is a new wheelchair useraccessible kitchen, a new multi-sensory room,art space and lots more.

We managed to collect lots ofphotographs and autographs as well as some Pudsey ears and a selection ofhard hats while we were there. We’realso looking forward to seeing ourselveson TV during the Children in Needprogramme on Friday 16th November.



Scottish War Blinded

Braeside HouseScottish Braille PressForward VisionKidscene

Residents took part in lots of wonderful eventsincluding a Sticky Ball Competition, Long DistanceWalking and Bowling. At the medal ceremonyheld on Thursday 9th August, the winners werepresented with a medal, a chocolate medal and apom-pom medal too! The ladies and gentlemenvery much got into the spirit of the London 2012Olympics, which started whenthey got a visit from theOlympic torch in July!

Residents at Braeside House joined in the Olympic fun in August by hosting their very own games.

OLYMPIC FEVERHITS BRAESIDE

WELLDONE

TO ALL OURWINNERS!

Braeside House

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ROYAL BLIND EVENTS CALENDAR 2013

26TH OCT – 01ST NOV

JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL

MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

1stLoony Dook4th to 11thNational Braille Week25thRabbie’s Girls

1st to 28thVolunteerSign Up Month

17thKilomathon

29thQuiz Night

14thRock N RollMarathonEdinburgh

Forth BridgeAbseil16thTry & Score25th and 26thEdinburghMarathon

20thRoyal BlindSchool Concert20th to 23rdRoyal HighlandShow

1stBank ofScotland GreatScottish Run29thLoch NessMarathon

Forth BridgeAbseil26thGlow in the Park

26th Oct to1st NovLight ReliefWeek

1stRoyal BlindSchoolChristmascards go onsale.

5thQuiz Night

Try & ScoreCelebrity Golf Day

If you would like to find out more about any of these events please contact theMarketing and Fundraising department on 0131 229 1456 or email [email protected]

Run for

Sunday 14th April 2013 Run this rocking race through of some of the most scenic areas of Edinburgh, as you take part in this unique half marathon for Royal Blind.

Starting and finishing in Holyrood Park, celebrate your accomplishment with live music. More details onwww.royalblind.org

For more information on how you can take part and represent Royal BlindPlease call Karen on 0131 229 1456 or email [email protected]

We would like to extend a big thank you to BackboneProduction & Event Engineering and the Black LightCrew, Nigel Kippax, ShowTec, EFX and MCL for theirwork in transforming the grounds of Fettes with all

kinds of magic! Many thanks to Event Safety Scotland,British Red Cross, the Army Cadets and all of our

wonderful staff and volunteers for ensuring that theevening ran safely and without a hitch! 3663 Catering,RNIB, Waverley books and photographers Solen Collet,Sophy Ellwood and Toby Williams, whose added extras

brought the event to life. Thank you also to our sponsorsand partners: Fettes College, Forth One, Edinburgh

Evening News, Edinburgh International Magic Festival,MADE magazine, and Guinness World Records.








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Thank you!

This year’s Glow in the Park wasone for the record books! OnOctober 27th, nearly 1400children and adults walkedthrough the gates of FettesCollege and were transported to amagical realm filled with wavingwands, hidden rabbits, trees hungwith stars and witches’ brooms,and even a disco tunnel!

The majestic Fettes College mainbuilding was brought to life withcolourful lighting and projections,while groups of children dressed as magicians, wizards, witches, andfairies raced around a gigantic singingmagic wand while waving glow sticks and blowing whistles.

During the event, Royal Blind earneda place in the Guinness Book of World Records for performing the world’s “Largest Magic Lesson”after 1,063 children and adultsparticipated in a magic lesson ledby professional magician, Kevin McMahon.

After championing a new worldrecord, families explored the groundson a guided sensory walk thatincluded magic tricks, music, and gold medals at the finish line!

This sold out event sprinkled a littlemagic throughout Fettes College onthis cold October evening and RoyalBlind would like to thank its Events & Community Fundraiser, Karen Deacon, for all of herincredibly hard work, without which the success of this event could not have been achieved.

We are pleased to announce that plans are already wellunderway for next year’sevent, so please keep aneye on the Royal Blindwebsite for details!

I’m a world record breaker!

Ava, 7 yrs

Pictures by our excellent photography team of Toby Williams, Solen Collet and Sophy Ellwood.

My favourite parts were the

giant brooms andlearning the magictrick, I can’t waituntil next year!Leon, 4 yrs


Stephanie McGough and Amanda Brandof the Scottish Braille Press teamenjoyed the pleasure of attending theQueen’s Garden Party at HolyroodPalace in June! Stephanie has provided

a vivid account of theafternoon’s events:

The event lastedfor about 3hours and wequeued earlyto get into thegrounds.There werelots of guestsand touristsoutside takingpictures while we

were waiting in thequeue, many of whom

were members of themilitary with their partners dressed in fullmilitary wear. You could feel the excitementbuilding the closer we got to the gates.

Once in the grounds we had a look around theabbey before making our way to the tea tent.The food was amazing! There were lots of daintysandwiches, scones, pastries and cakes.

The drinks were next, withcucumber and elderflowerwater, tea or iced coffee.Everyone was dressed intheir finest clothes - ladieswith weird and wonderfulfascinators spoke to men withtop hats and tails, as brass bandtents played music throughout the gardens. Itreally felt like we had stepped back in time.

At 5pm, about 2 hours after we had entered thegardens, the brass bands started to play thenational anthem as the Queen walked down thestairs from the Palace to start her hour long walkto the Queen’s Tea Tent. The Queen graduallymade her way to the tent whilst meeting guestsfrom the party and having a wee chat. TheQueen’s Tea Tent looked beautiful - it had a longtable covered with even fancier food and drinks,with two large throne-like chairs in the middle.After the Queen reached the tent, she drank teaand mingled with the other guests.

At the end of the afternoon, ice cream wasserved while the brass band tents played somemore modern tunes which even included somemovie soundtracks! As the afternoon drew to an end the guests gradually made their way out of the grounds looking happy and excited. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I wasgiven by Royal Blind to attend the Tea Party, it was a brilliant afternoon and one that I willalways remember.

Definitely a storyto tell thegrandkids!

TEA WITHTHE QUEEN

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Scottish Braille PressScottish Braille Press

Tell us how you came to workat the Scottish Braille Press

I joined the Scottish BraillePress in May this year as TraineeProof Reader through theShaw Trust’s ‘Work Choice’disability employmentprogramme. I had recently leftmy job in care work after fiveyears, not because I didn’t lovemy job and the people I workedwith, who were mainly adultswith disabilities, but due toincreasing conflicts with myown disability. I’d had a latediagnosis of high-functioningAspergers Syndrome. AspergersSyndrome is a lifelongneurodevelopmental conditionon the Autism Spectrum. Thiscondition often remainsinvisible to others however itcan make certain aspects ofworking life difficult for me.The sensory hypersensitivitiesand executive functioningdifferences of my Aspergers,mean that my environment andworking conditions need to bewell-managed in order tosupport my condition.

What challenges do you face on a day to daybasis?

The Scottish BraillePress have supportedthe adaptation of my workingenvironment in many small ways(which can make all thedifference), and the company’sstructured way of working,clear communication style andbroad disability awareness - notjust of the visually-impaired -work very well for me. Theyhave also remained committedto supporting me through myemployment programme togain the qualifications andexperience to work towardsfulfilling my career potential.

How has Royal Blind supported you?

I have been supported incompleting my EuropeanComputer Driving License(ECDL) qualification to expandmy PC skills. I am also nowstudying towards a PDA inadministration. Together withthe experience in large printproofing I have gained in mytime here, providing support tothe Braille proofing team andadministration team hasallowed me to further build onmy skills and experience.

What is the most important part of your job to you?

As well as offering invaluableemployment opportunitiesthrough trainee programs suchas these, the service theScottish Braille Press providesto those with visualimpairments is in itselfinvaluable and something I amvery proud to be a part of. Thishas been a very positive step forme and has provided me withopportunities I would nototherwise have had access to,and most importantly it hasgiven me the confidence to putthe ‘ability’ back into mydisability.

NAME: Shiona McLeod

POSITION: Trainee Proof Reader,Scottish Braille Press

Sue Lawrence tells us why she has made herlatest book, Eating In, in alternative formats.‘When I launched Eating In at theEdinburgh International Book Festival last year, one of the questions from theaudience that struck me most was “Why is the book not in braille?”This is my 13th book and the question was like a bolt from the blue : why not indeed!Since the theme of this book is about casual, relaxed cooking and eating, (the very

antithesis of Cheffyblowtorch precision!) I wanted it to bethoroughly accessible.It uses ingredients that are easily available,hopefully local and as muchas possible in season.And so I am truly delighted that, notonly are my regular book buyers able to cook my recipes, but because it has been transcribed into braille, it is now accessible to everyone.” Photo by

Gareth Easton

Eating in!

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In September, 4 pupils from the Royal BlindSchool and their teachers travelled to France on ajoint French and History trip, to put into practicetheir French language skills and to bring alive thehistory of the First World War (and of course tohave some fun too!).

Stephen Clegg, Antony Swift, Jake Murray and Reece Wattwere accompanied by Ms McNulty (Modern LanguagesTeacher), Mr Deans (History Teacher), Claire Goodenough(Classroom Assistant), Chelsea Livingston (Nurse) andRoseanne Allison (Deputy Head of Care) and made theirway to Péronne in the Picardie region of Northern France,which they used as their base for the week. From there,they were able to explore the Somme battlefield of theFirst World War as well as spend some time in theclassrooms of Sacré-Coeur High School in Peronne. Herethe pupils were able to practise their French languageskills, as well as helping the pupilsthere with their English!

Ms McNulty, explains ‘The joy of a trip to France is that it brings life to learning and learning to life (Curriculum for Excellence!). For an MFL teacher it is lovely to see the lessons taken outside the classroom and put into practice.The boys had great fun asking theway, ordering food and drink andshopping at the market.

They were also willing and ableto demonstrate their Braille andAudio technology to the curiouslocals who were constantlyimpressed by their courtesy,confidence and courage –sufficient even to sample snails! Our pupils very clearlyproved that they are successfullearners, confident individuals,effective contributors, andresponsible citizens.

Reece added ‘I enjoyedlistening to peoplespeaking French aroundme - I could actuallyunderstand quite a bit.French people seemedmore expressive and lessformal than us - the lady at reception even kissedme au revoir!

CLAIREI found the whole trip hugelyenjoyable and rewarding.Visiting a local fish farm was a highlight and provided anew challenge – how do youget a wriggling fish off thehook and into the bucket?!

ROSEANNEA wonderful week full of funand happy memories as well as the poignant reminders of a very sad time in history. I enjoyed our evening Quiz onthe days’ events of historical facts and French language.Congratulations to Stephen and Jake, the winners. We willsoon be displaying our World War One Brass Shell Casing, a gift from the Terres De Memoire Team. It is currently beingpolished by Mr Deans and will take pride of place in the displaycabinet. Throughout the trip we had the expert services ofSylvestre Bresson of Terres DeMemoire, along with his wifeEstelle and Matthias, ‘chauffeurextraordinaire’. Our Hotel, LeSaint Claude, provided anexcellent base in Péronne for theweek and we were looked afterlike royalty.

MR DEANSSome of the more poignantaspects of the trip, such as thebattlefields brought home toour pupils the scale of sacrificemade on our behalves by menin the not too distant past. We spent time in DelvilleWood where only a solitary oak now remains from whatwas a forest. We then visited the superb museum dedicated to the 3,000 South Africans who perished there. We marvelledat the brass bas-relief plagues that convey the horrors of thatparticular battle. The imposing Thiepval memorial to the missingastounded us by its scale as a building and the realization

that it commemorates the 72,000 missing of theSomme. At Contalmaison we contemplated thenewly constructed cairn which commemoratesMacrae’s Battalion, the 15th Royal Scots, whichcomprised Heart of Midlothian footballers andsupporters who fought so courageously.

It was clearly a great trip and certainlyone to be repeated. It only remains for us to thank Osprey Travel for theircontinuing assistance and the Franco-Scottish Society for their contribution.

JAKEMarket shopping in France ismuch more fun thanMotherwell! I bought Mr Dean’scheese for him and a lovelynecklace for my girlfriend. Thevisit to the school reminded meof my old mainstream school,and was a bit nerve-racking atfirst, but I got over it and reallyenjoyed showing the Frenchpupils how I use my Braillenote.

STEPHENI found the WW1 battlefieldsand cemeteries reallyinteresting, but also verymoving. We went fishing onemorning and I, moi, was theonly one to have the courage tohold a real live, wriggling eel. Itfelt like a wet snake – rough,slimy but very strong. Absolutelydisgusting!

ANTONYAlthough I know the war wasterrible, I loved trying on thedifferent soldiers’ helmets – andthe breakfasts were délicieux!The hotel didn’t even mindgoing out to the boulangerie toget extra pains au chocolat forus every morning!

CHELSEAMy highlight had to be thefishing trip, even though I screamed every time one wascaught and nearly fell head first

into the water when Itripped over Antony’s chair! Iloved the French puddingsand even I learnedhow toorder mydinner inFrench.

BONJOUR LA FRANCE!

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October 4th marked National PoetryDay 2012 and the Royal Blind Schoolcelebrated with amazing creativityand poetic flair! School librarian, Amber Weir and English teacher,Beth Laughlin teamed up to organise two sensorypoetry workshops that focussed on this year’s “Stars”theme and featured acclaimed poet, Anne Connolly.Miss Weir’s efforts to spread excitement aboutNational Poetry Day were evident both within andoutside of the school building. In her own words,‘We were trying to sprinkle a bit of stardust ineveryone’s week and get everyone feeling enthusedand touched by poetry, in order to bring it very muchalive and aloud. Poems were featured amid a verytactile and sparkly display in school and throughoutthe week everyone across school and also the widerRoyal Blind organisation was receiving daily celestialpoems in their email inboxes.’

On the morning the students were ushered into theworkshop room, which Miss Weir and Miss Laughlinhad transformed with hanging stars and illuminatedwith soft, twinkling fairy lights – a truly magicalspace! Anne led the first group in a series of poemreadings like “Swingummy Jig,” which involvedsinging and lively motions, while also keeping rhythmby clapping and playing percussion instruments.

The students also explored questions such as “What do stars look/feel/smell/taste like?” whilesnacking on sparkly star-shaped biscuits, engaging in a complete sensory experience with language and poetry.

The second group was comprised of older studentsand as a result, Anne led discussions about morecomplex poems, such as Alfred Lord Tennyson’s“Ulysses” and her own poem, “astrolabe.” MissLaughlin commented that the morning ‘was evenmore successful than we'd hoped: pupils were fullyengaged through all their senses and inspired to goand discover more about poetry and the worldaround them. Anne Connolly was a real presence and intuitively worked with the young people at apace and level which both excited them and caughttheir attention.’

Miss Laughlin and Miss Weir hope tocontinue developing the students’relationship with poetry byestablishing a “Poetry Tree” onschool grounds where children canhang their own poems on display.

National Poetry Day Leaves Pupils

Seeing Stars!Teigan has become friends with a pupil from theschool called Matthew Goode. During theSummer term, Teigan helped when a group ofchildren from the Royal Blind School came toHuntshaw Farm on a visit to help feed and lookafter the sheep! She was so inspired by theyoung people that she decided she wanted toraise money for the Royal Blind School by doingsomething special.

So, on 7th August 2012, she became ‘blind for aday’, covering her eyes with cotton pads andtape with goggles on top. Not content to spenda quiet day at home, Teigan and her two friends- Caris and Rosie (who acted as her carers) wentfor a swim at Kelso Pool.

When asked what it felt like Teigan said: ‘ It was quite scary and difficult but I was quite excited as well!’ She said at times her friends were having funtogether in the pool and she couldn’t join becauseshe couldn’t see. In the pool she was really aware ofall the different noises. She really noticed the drinksmachine in the entrance hall and cars and lorriesand footsteps all seemed much louder than usual.Her carer friends helped her to get around, tellingher when to step up or down but she did trip over

a kerb when they went to the park. She was totallyreliant on them to help her and keep her safe.

After swimming, they went to Sainsburys in Kelso.Rosie and Caris pushed her around thesupermarket in a special wheelchair type trolley.When her Mum was asking her, ‘do you want thisor that for dinner?’ she said she couldn’t see whatit was. She could really feel how cold it was downthe aisles with the fridges! Coming out of thesupermarket she met a lady who was visuallyimpaired and had a chat with her, she told Teiganhow hard she found things on a daily basis.

When asked what she had learnt from herexperience, Teigan said she learned ‘How difficultit must be, every day being blind. Sometimes Ireally felt left out. It was hard eating when Icouldn’t see the food. Rosie and Caris had to tellme where the plate was on the table and Idropped quite a few things!’

Teigan raised over £100 and we think she deservesa gold medal for the bravery she showed in takingon such a challenge. To say thank you, Matthewgave her an Olympic Swimming cap in honour ofher brilliant fundraising achievement.

Well done Teigan!

BLIND FOR A DAY

A very special young girl called TeiganScobbie age 11, from Earlston HighSchool decided that she would like toraise money for the Royal blind School.

SPECIAL THANKS GOES TO: The Scottish Golf Courses who provided 4 ball vouchers for the raffle, Scott Wilson, PierothLtd, Eric Grandison Golf School, Edinburgh Hot Tubs, Hearts FC, James McSween, Srixon,Howies, Linlithgow Tyres and Exhausts, Ifab, Duddingston Private Hire, Black Bull Inn, FastFood East Calder, Hermiston Motor Company, Aitken Builders, Scotrad, UK Accident Repair.

After a hearty breakfast and the chance to warm upin the immaculate practice area, all 18 teams weregiven a briefing of the rules by our host for the day,Scott Wilson. He introduced our new Brown ShipleyBlack Ball Challenge, in which each team wascharged with playing with a black ball on each hole –a near impossible task, but one that allows people tounderstand the difficulties of playing golf with avisual impairment.Once on the course it was a hard fought contest allday, with some amazing shots like DerrickPatterson’s 400 yard drive and a certain footballer’smissed putt from 1ft (yes, 1ft!!). Once everyone returned to the clubhouse, the PGAstaff at Archerfield started marking the days cards,and after much head scratching, counting and re-checking the score, we had our winners. The first award was for the winners of the hotlycontested Brown Shipley Black Ball Challenge. With 3teams in total managing to get their black ball backto the clubhouse, a count back declared the team

from Nicolson Decorators, which included Jim Jefferies, the triumphant team. This was followed by the winners of the mainstableford competition, a closely fought contest, withthe top 3 teams separated by 4 points! The winners,with a score of 84, were the Team from EdinburghHot Tubs captained by Alan Rough. Guests enjoyed a beautiful meal followed by someexcellent after dinner entertainment from formerreferee William Young, who had everyone inhysterics with his tales as the man in black. The day concluded with a special charity auction andraffle which helped push our totalizer past £8,000. Royal Blind would like to thank everybody whoattended on the day, our wonderful teams and the brilliant sporting legends. We would also like tothank our Black Ball Challenge sponsors BrownShipley Private Banking, our hole sponsors and ourraffle and auction prize donators and we really lookforward to welcoming you to next year’s event inAugust 2013 once again at Archerfield.

On Wednesday 22nd August, Royal Blindhosted the 5th Try and Score Celebrity GolfDay at the beautiful Archerfield Links, EastLothian. It was another sell out event with 18teams of 3 being joined 18 Scottish sportinglegends including Peter Houston, ScottHastings, Alan Rough and Jim Jefferies.

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iSite Magazine www.royalblind.org Kidscene

GOLF DAY 2012

A new termat KIDSCENEKidscene would like to say a hugeWELCOME BACK to everyone afterthe long summer! It’s nice to beback at Kidscene with all ourfriends and lots of new friends willbe starting with us this term too.The children have been very busy planning all theactivities that they would like to do over thenext few months and the staff have been verybusy trying to fit in all the fantastic ideas!

The children have been busy celebrating RoaldDahl’s birthday which was on the 13th ofSeptember. They had a fantastic week readingstories, making Fantastic Mr Fox masks andmaking lots of scrummy food from his

storybooks, suchas SnozzcumberSandwiches andButter Gum Balls.

The children also had Science week, in which thechildren took part in some amazing experimentsand learned some really cool science tricks suchas catching a bit of ice with a piece of string!The children also made soap monsters - theirvery own monsters out of bars of soap!

The children have come up with some fantasticideas about what they would like to do from nowuntil Christmas such as creepy crawly bug week,autumn projects and Halloween, so we will bekept busy with all the exciting times ahead.

‘I really liked theButter Gum Ballsthey were really yummy’ Danni, Kidscene.





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WE’LL MISS YOU MAY!

At the end of August we also said a fond farewell to our colleague and friendMay Healy. After over 23years of service, ResidentialCare Worker May retired.

Staff and pupils will miss her greatly but we all havegood memories of the times and laughs we shared together. Happy retirement May.

FundraisingFundraising NewsIs this the year that you want to try something different!

• Louise Bartrum who works at Braeside Houseraised £177 for the Royal Blind by getting herlong hair hair cut short, with the hair itself alsogoing to a good cause - The Little PrincessesTrust to make wigs for children with cancer.Huge thanks to Louise, and also to Lesley thehairdresser who did the cut for free as hercontribution. (Louise pictured above).

• Shaun Marshall and Cameron Murray whoraised £1,685 running the Loch Ness Marathon.

• The Lovett Family who spent the day atLeuchars Air show and raised £503.61

• Here Internet Café and their customers whohave already raised £74.98 this year.

• Eleanor Morrison who raised over £900 withher coffee morning in Aberdour.

• Mr & Mrs Roger who raised a staggering£2,651 at the Keith Show.

• The Southside Heritage Group who raised £300 selling a wonderful Recipe Bookthey created.

• Scott Bryson who ran the Great North run, and raised £335 in the process.

• Laura Stavert who raised £320 running theEdinburgh 10k, inspired by her cousin who is atthe Royal Blind School.

• The Celtic Lodge Edinburgh & Leith No. 291who raised £1,000. (pictured)

HAPPY RETIREMENTHappy Retirement to Miss Littlewoods andaspiring supermodel, Val Rankin who retired inSeptember after starting work at the RoyalBlind School in April 1974. She has played animportant role at the Royal Blind Schoolover those many years working in variousdepartments. Her first job was working asdomestic staff where Val should havefinished work at 7pm every evening,however most nights Val wouldn’t get homeuntil after midnight. This wasn’t due to herexcellent work ethic but rather staying on to socialise with young people and staff!! Val,you will be greatly missed by all your colleagues,friends and young people. It will be strange nothaving you around. We all wish you a very happy and healthy retirement.

A GREAT BIGTHANK YOU!

We are always amazed at the fantastic ways you raise money for Royal Blind...

WELL DONE!Congratulations to AidenInnes, a former pupil of theRoyal Blind school whorecently graduated from

Heriot Watt University with a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science.

If you would like to fund raise for Royal Blind please contact Karen Deacon or Colleen Watt on 0131 229 1456 or email [email protected].

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SCOTTISH WAR BLINDEDHONOURED BY SPECIAL VISIT

The Linburn Centre took a trip down memorylane in October with the help of a vintage reddouble decker bus! The 631 Leyland Titan half-cab double deck bus’ rolled down Louis BrailleAvenue on October 2nd courtesy of the 484Preservation Group, a group of vintagetransport enthusiasts who have devoted yearsof hard work and research with the intentionof restoring the bus to its former glory.

First registered in 1954, this particular busoperated for 26 years as a public transportvehicle and crew bus, running routes indifferent areas of Lanarkshire, Glasgow andEast Kilbride. Climbing aboard the bus felt likestepping back in time – the bus gleamed with a coat of bright red paint while the interiorfeatured authentic lighting as well as theoriginal upholstery fabric pattern used over

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50 years ago! The members and staff were treatedto a twenty-minute ride through the villages and lovely countryside that surround Linburn.

Deputy Centre Manager Jacqui Saltersummed up the afternoon saying,‘The Vintage bus brought back a lotof memories for our members.’

‘One gentleman told me how he had got himselfa date by hopping off a bus similar to the vintageone, to say hello to a girl whom he had seenwalking along the street. One of the ladies usedto be a conductress for the corporation buses inEdinburgh in the 1950s. Even although it was arainy day, the sight of the bus brightened upeveryone who saw it – a little bit of nostalgiagoes a long way!’

Scottish War Blinded Scottish War Blinded

The Linburn Centre was honouredwith a visit from Veterans MinisterKeith Brown and Dennis RobertsonMSP on 18th September. It was aparticularly pertinent visit as MrBrown possesses portfolioresponsibility for veterans’ issues inthe Scottish Government, while MrRobertson is himself blind and aformer pupil of the Royal BlindSchool in Edinburgh.

Mr Brown and Mr Robertson were given atour of the various facilities provided at theLinburn Centre and also experienced a smallsample of the many activities offered daily atthe centre by observing an art class andwoodwork skills session. The visit concludedwith a cup of tea and a biscuit, during whichthe Veterans Minister and MSP spoke withScottish War Blinded members about theirhistory and experiences at the centre. CentreManager Sheila Mutch remarked that ‘it waswonderful to be able to show Keith thefacilities we have here at Linburn and to seethe members taking part in the variousactivities that we have on offer here.’

VeteransMinister KeithBrown said: ‘It is a realprivilege to seefirst-hand thework beingcarried out insupport of blind and partiallysighted ex-service menand women by the ScottishWar BlindedCentre.

‘This ScottishGovernment is committed to supporting the armed forces and veterans community. Just last month we launched a Commitments Paper, which sets out ourobligations to serving personnel, theirfamilies, reservists and veterans.’

Linburn travelsback in time.




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Are you loony enough to

do the dook?Loony Dook for Royal Blindon New Years Day!

Tuesday 1st January 2013Start the New Year by making a big splash and supporting Royal Blind. If you would like to find out more please contact the Marketing and Fundraising department on 0131 229 1456 or email [email protected]

* A bubbly drinks reception with Loch Fyne oysters* A sumptuous 6 course tasting menu withcomplimentary wine

* Traditional Burns Night speeches with a feminine twist* Fabulous Goody bag * Balloon raffle where everyone is a winner.

Being held for the third year atGeorge Hotel, Edinburgh.6.30pm Start.

Tickets cost £75 per personwithin a table seating 12.

25th JAN 2013OUR unique evening, hosted by award-winning actress and comedienne Karen Dunbar is back!

lassies, say goodbye to

the january blues.

BOOK NOw to avoid

disappointment

To book call Karen Deacon 0131 229 1456 or e-mail [email protected] or visit www.royalblind.org

Outreach Service extends a hand toall of Scotland!

ScottishWar Blinded is pleased toannounce the addition offour new Outreach Workers to the Outreach Service team to bring ourcompliment to seven. This means that eachregion in Scotland will now be served by its own worker. First developed as a Pilotprogramme, the Outreach Service hasenjoyed an incredible response frommembers living in the pilot areas.The service is expanding in an effort to meet the diverse needs of the charity’s increasingmembership. Over the next year, the new teamof Outreach Workers will conduct individualvisits with every current Scottish War Blindedmember, and future members can expect toreceive an annual visit and phone call every six months.

The Outreach team will be able to continuedeveloping a bespoke service that is outstandingboth in design and quality. They will also be able to promote awareness and actively marketthe charity’s services to an even wider range of individuals.

The Outreach Workers have been able to offer a wide range of support to our members. Thishas ranged from sharing a cup of tea and a chat,through referrals to agencies to funding ofhouse decorating and adaptations. We have the ability to fill gaps in provision to improve the quality of life of our members.

Outreach Manager Rosie McLaughlin looksforward to the coming year with greatenthusiasm, declaring, “We will have a more in-depth and personal service for our members,and will be able to tailor our efforts to meetindividual needs while also raising the profile ofScottish War Blinded throughout the country.”

Scottish War Blinded is pleasedto announce the addition of four

new Outreach Workers to theOutreach Service team to bring our

complement to seven.

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iSite Magazine www.royalblind.org Scottish War Blinded

winter isite 2012

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