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Walking in Blenheim

The Blenheim RNZFB walking group sets off for about an hour's ramble on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 9am (10am on cold days). All walkers are picked up from their homes. There are two guide dogs and heaps of volunteers, so no more excuses. Get out and start walking! For more information contact Lynette Mortloch on ph: 03 577 8384.

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City Talk

The Dunedin City Council's 'City Talk' magazine is now available in audio. The quarterly publication details local happenings and items of interest in Dunedin and is available through Dunedin public libraries and on TIS. The Dunedin Committee would love local members to use this resource to keep in touch with their city.

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Goalball congrats!

Congratulations to the Goalball players who competed in the Australian National Goalball Championships and did us proud. The women's team was up against tough competition and came third in the tournament. The men's team upset ACT (Canberra) 3-2 in the semi-finals. They then took on Queensland in the finals and came second.

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Guide Dog Appeal success

A grand total of $833,624 was raised from the annual Guide Dog Appeal. A big thank-you goes out to everyone who generously gave their time, energy and donations.

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TradeMe auction

The TradeMe auction proved an exciting and successful event raising over $85,000 from 10th to the 17th May. Over 300 items were up for grabs and the week long auction culminated in a celebratory cocktail evening hosted by Jon Bridges, with entertainment from Caitlin Smith and DJ Ruffian.

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Thanks Lion Foundation!

"We are truly delighted," says Dianne Armstrong, Group Manager Fundraising, about the Lion Foundation's $200,000 donation. The Lion Foundation continues to be a strong supporter of the RNZFB, donating more than $650,000 over the past three years.

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Volunteers for sleep research

A study of sleep-timing disorders in blind people has been approved by the Health Research Council of New Zealand. The study will look into sleep-wake cycles and the effects of melatonin, a naturally produced hormone that regulates sleep patterns. The RNZFB is

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involved with this study and is seeking interested volunteers from our membership who either have no conscious perception in at least one eye or conscious light perception in both eyes. For further details, contact Chris Inglis on cinglis or phone 0800 24 33 33

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Harry Potter fever strikes

The braille version of the latest Harry Potter book - "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" was available from the RNZFB just one week after the book was released in print. The RNZFB received its braille copies from the RNIB who was given permission to transcribe it, but not distribute it, before the print was released. The large print version is now available from the library.

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Glaucoma NZ public meetings

Glaucoma NZ is holding a series of free public meetings for people with glaucoma, their families, and anybody interested the disease. Learn more about glaucoma, research and current treatments. There will be an opportunity to meet others who have glaucoma, to provide support and share experiences. For venues, dates and times, please contact Gael Wright phone: 09 373 8779 or visit www.glaucoma.org.nz

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Farewell to Ralda Cushen

With sadness we share the passing of RNZFB volunteer Ralda Cushen in late June. Ralda served on a variety of committees, helping evolve the services now available to RNZFB members. Ralda was a supporter and friend to many and we remember her strong support and her ever-cheery smile.

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Needs Assessors here to help

Have your circumstances changed or your vision deteriorated recently?

Are you having difficulty managing around the home, or is getting out and about a major quest? Do you require a reassessment of your needs? Contact the Needs Assessor at your local office or phone 0800 24 33 33 for assistance. Remember help is only a phone call away.

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Tragic deaths of Dr Russell Smith and Marian D'Eve

The world's blind community tragically lost "a brilliant friend, engineer and humanist" with the recent death of Dr Russell Smith, founder of Pulse Data International (now HumanWare). He and his wife Marian D'Eve, an early childhood education specialist, died on 7 August in a plane crash. We will follow up in the summer issue of Outlook with an article about them.

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