Jim Cunningham MP: Jim using IT software at the Centre

A Massive Thank You to the Coventry Telegraph, Barclays Bank and all those who voted for Coventry Society for the Blind in the recent Barclay's Community Chest Awards.  Thanks to your votes, the Centre received £1000 for our ongoing work supporting people with a visual impairment in the Coventry area.  One of our IT centre users, Yvonne, kindly nominated the Society for the financial award and we were shortlisted as one of twenty local charities who Telegraph readers then voted for.  Helen Young, Centre Manager, and Robin Decadt collected the cheque from Barclays on the High Street

The Coventry Telegraph, in conjunction with Barclays Community Chest funding programme, have shortlisted Coventry Society for the Blind as one of twenty local charities in the running to receive a cash award that would enable us to update our IT equipment which is used weekly by thirty blind and partially sighted people.

Join in the public consultation period for the proposed closure of post offices in Birmingham, Coventry and Warwickshire, which begins on June the 24th.  Older people’s charity Help the Aged is urging people to have a say in what happens to their local community post office by responding to the consultation.  The Charity is providing a detailed briefing pack for people in the area who wish to respond.

Helen Mullan, Sam Young and Lee Gordon were amongst over 150 runners who took part in a UK Vision 5k Race on Sunday 18th May in Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham.  The three ran to raise money for Coventry Society for the Blind and all finished in impressive times, with Lee and Sam finishing in the top five competitors and Helen finishing second of the women runners.   Singer Paul Young started the race, which consisted of three laps around Cannon Hill Park, and the weather stayed bright to the relief of the ru

Here to Help now available to even more people:

RNIB has received continued funding for 2008 from British Gas for the 'Here to Help' project, the award-winning energy efficiency programme launched in 2002.  And now even more people can apply for the scheme which offers free home insulation, worth around £500, and free RNIB products and services for people with sight problems.

Coventry Society for the Blind is continually seeking to provide the best possible service to all our Transcription customers.  The Transcription Service, which converts information into a variety of accessible formats, including Braille, large print and audio, has always provided a fast and cost effective service with quality guaranteed. 

The Lord Mayor gives Thumbs Up to eventOn 22nd January 2008, Coventry Society for the Blind held a Re-Launch Event and Open Day for local people with a visual impairment, service providers and  other partner organisations.  The event was a great success and was attended by over 100 people, including the Lord Mayor Cllr. Dave Batten and Cllr Taylor, Leader of Coventry City Council. 

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recently made a dramatic U-turn in new draft guidance on sight saving drugs. The new draft ruling, issued on 14th December 2007, recommends a dose-capping proposal to make Lucentis available on the NHS for people with wet Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). The guidance recommends the NHS provide up to 14 injections of Lucentis per eye which should result in stable vision for most patients and improved vision for around 25 percent of patients. It recommends the manufacturer pay for any additional doses required.

Helen Mullan and Robin DecadtA national technology awards scheme (IT4C) recently shortlisted the Coventry Society for the Blind (CSB) for an award in the category of `Best Accessible IT Volunteer Project’. The IT4C awards recognise and celebrate the best and most innovative examples of IT volunteering and CSB was selected as one of just three finalists in their category. Helen Mullan and Robin Decadt from the charity attended an awards ceremony in London on 29th November 2007 where results were announced.