Fellowship Group July Meeting Report

Instead of a visiting speaker, we changed the format of the last meeting of our 36th year before the summer break and encouraged our members and supporters to contribute.

A lady chose a favourite Bible passage, one man sang a solo while another gave a dramatic recitation, and one of our newer members, Freda(above), introduced her favourite hymn.

The afternoon finished with Roy Merton, our regular pianist, giving a brief talk about the Kingdom of Heaven. More time was allowed for fellowship over tea and nibbles before the drivers and taxis arrived to collect their passengers.

Thanks

A big thank you to all those who have supported us in any way this year: drivers, the refreshment team, City Church for providing the venue, visiting speakers, choirs and soloists and those who donate regularly to enable the worldwide work of the Torch Trust amongst blind and partially sighted people to continue and expand.

Advice for Drivers offering lifts to visually impaired people

When collecting visually impaired passengers, please go to the house and knock on the door. Then introduce yourself by name and state your purpose. Blind people have to be sure of their security.

If there is a need, you should guide visually impaired people to a vehicle by allowing them to take an arm. When they reach the vehicle, drivers should carefully open the door themselves. After this, you should offer to guide the hand of whoever is in their care to a safe part of the vehicle entrance. Please be sure to protect the head of your VI passenger as they enter the doorway. Following this, VIP may need assistance with seat belts.

When the vehicle reaches its destination, drivers must not allow people with sight problems to open vehicle doors themselves. They may accidentally open them into the path of moving traffic or pedestrians. The driver must do this himself, then help his passengers out of the vehicle and into the church building.

As you drive along, describe where you are and what you can see

Network Norwich: Eric to spend 90th birthday in prayer marathon

A Norwich Christian is planning a very special way to celebrate his 90th birthday – he will spend 12 hours in a prayer marathon and he is inviting other people to join him.

Eric Saunders, who is a member of New Hope Christian Centre in Lakenham, Norwich, and registered blind, said: “In recognition, in a small way, of the wonderful blessings my Father God has bestowed upon me over the past 90 years, I am planning, on my birthday on April 24, to spend 12 hours of that day in prayer and thanksgiving. I am thinking of praying from 6am onwards."

"Prayer is the centre of my life activity, a great deal of my time is spent with the Street Pastors, for whom I am a prayer pastor,” said Eric.

“Some three years ago I became registered with severe sight impairment. From that time I have receive tremendous help from associations caring for the blind and particularly from my local friends, the Norfolk & Norwich Association for the Blind (NNAB).

“I am inviting people to share in my prayer marathon. It will be of tremendous joy to me were they to do so in a couple of ways. Most importantly, to supply me with prayer requests for people or events, close to their hearts, which they would wish me to include in my prayers. Please bring them in person and join me for a few moments in prayer, by all means or send them to me by post or e-mail. They will be warmly welcomed.

“Secondly, please sponsor me in my marathon by making a donation to that wonderful charity organisation the NNAB."

You can contact Eric by e-mail at eric@shewensaunders.freeserve.co.uk

You can find out more about NNAB and donate online at www.nnab.org.uk

To read the full text of this article on Network Norwich by clicking here

David's commentary helps blind canaries fans

Football-mad David Davenport (shown above) is so keen on helping others enjoy the beautiful game, that as well as helping to referee and run the Norfolk Christian Football League, David spends most Norwich City home games commentating on the latest fortunes of the team for blind supporters.

David is one of Norwich City's five volunteer Soccer Sight commentators who aim to give an unbiased kick-by-kick account of the home matches.

David's commentary is broadcast through radio transmission equipment and headsets provided by the Soccer Sight project to ensure that blind and partially sighted supporters have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful game and enjoy the atmosphere, in the stadium, as it happens.

David says the main difference between normal radio commentary and the Soccer Sight commentary is that they have to try and be very zonal.

During the match David describes the tackles, the behaviour of the referee, the appearance of some of the players and why the crowd were reacting in different ways.

"You can't go off and have a chat about what the players had for breakfast, because while details like that might be interesting for a sighted person, the blind people listening have come for the game - they want to know where the ball is, not about the manager's car having broken down on the way."

Soccer Sight aims to bring quality football commentary to blind and partially sighted people at every professional football club in the UK. The project, run by Action for Blind People, recruits and trains commentators who improve access to football for thousands of fans every year.

For information on Soccer Sight, contact Susan Neale on 01792 366756 or email susan.neale@actionforblindpeople.org.uk

Story reproduced with permission from Network Norwich and Norfolk, your local source of Christian news.