Winter 2023
HRVAB Newsletter
Communities coming together
We had great pleasure in hosting the women from The Bexhill Choir of Ukraine at our annual general meeting on Monday 23rd October. Dressed in national costume, they sang folk songs with such passion it brought a tear to the eye of many. It was heart-warming to hear some of their stories about how they are being helped by the local community, along with desperate stories of family loss due to war.
While wars can foster a sense of unity and shared purpose, they can also lead to challenges that the wider community must navigate to maintain social cohesion.
Hello,
from our Chairman
A happy new year to you all! As always, the challenges our staff and volunteers faced in 2023 were met with perseverance and fortitude.
The charity continuies to go from strength to strength but financially we face challenging times with inflation and rising costs. It is a constant challenge to balance our duty of care as a charity while working within our financial constraints.
As we set out in 2024 I would like to say a few special thank-yous on behalf of the trustees; as always our CEO Fieona is the backbone of the charity and we thank her for her dedication; Terry Novis, our steadfast treasurer who puts in an incredible amount of work as a volunteer in order to keep our finances on the straight and narrow; Paul Deigan, our excellent house manager, along with all the staff at Healey House for their unrelenting commitment and enthusiasm.
Thank you to all the trustees and all the volunteers who give their time and energy to HRVAB. Without the dedication of staff like Jean Fleming and her familly, who go ‘above and beyond’ what could be expected of anyone, this charity wouldn’t be the friendly, caring, and unique place it is.
Andy Patmore, Chairman HRVAB
Railway ticket offices to remain open!
Widespread campaigning against the closure of rail ticket offices has caused the Government to do a complete u-turn. This highlights the impact your voice has! We thank our supporters who got involved and fought for accessible transport. We hope you can continue to travel with confidence and independence.
Raffle raises £1259
Local MP Sally-Ann Hart attended our witner coffee morning and drew the £200 1st prize raffle winner. The raffle itself raised an amazing £1259 with an additional £1133.10 raised at the coffee morning.
Thank you Rosewood Park
Rosewood Park in Bexhill generously donated enough fence panels for us to redo the entire perimeter of Healey House’s garden.
We think you’ll agree, it looks terrific. Ready for our residents to enjoy in the Spring and for HRVAB to host events such as our Spring Fete (9th March).
Top Shop Seller
Retro Light Fittings - £120.00
£1855 raised at auction!
As part of our fundraising effots, we often send donated items to auction.
The beautiful rocking horse, that used to live in one of our lounge areas at Healey House, trotted its way over to Burstow & Hewett Auctioneers in Battle.
Selling for an amazing £1600 alongside a couple of lots of Hornby, HRVAB walked away with £1855!
We’d like to say a big thank you to Burstow & Hewett for helping raise these valuable funds towards HRVAB’s mission,
Counselling Survey Results
As part of our services to you, we have been looking into the possibility of offering professional counselling sessions for FREE in partnership with SSW (Sight Support Worthing). We sent out 500 surveys to gain insight into whether this is something our community would actively partake in.
A staggering 73% of you felt that there should be more talking therapy services for VI people. We are in discussion with SSW and will update you very soon. We hope to help build strong mental health for many who struggle after loosing their sight, or finding out their sight is deteriorating.
Shop with HRVAB on Vinted
We are always grateful for donations to our charity shops, from jigsaws to jackets. We do our very best to find a new home for them and raise valuable funds for the charity.
As well as our storefronts in Bexhill and Silverhill we have always sold a lot of collectables on Ebay. We are now branching out to ‘Vinted’ where we will be uploading our top clothing picks.
Download the app and search for member ‘HRVAB’ to snap up a bargain at the click of a button.
Brand New Website launches for Healey House
Did you know our Residential Home ‘Healey House’ has a brand new website?
We’d love if you could take a look and let us know what you think!
Having a spring clean?
Around this time of year it seems everyone is having a declutter. Maybe it’s books, baby toys, ornaments, clothes, or event furniture? Well…”one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”.
We’d be very grateful to recieve your unwanted items. Our shops (in Silverhill & Bexhill) provide a valuable income for the charity. Drop off during opening hours (see www.hrvab.org.uk/shop) or contact us to enquire about collection - 01424 436359 or hrvab@freeuk.com
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Quiz Nights
Friday 26th January
Friday 23rd February
Friday 26th AprilIntergenerational group (GlowBaby)
Every Tuesday in January (trial)Spring Fete
Saturday 9th MarchNot forgetting our regular clubs:
Taplin Monday Club
Bexhill Tuesday Club
Taplin Thursday Club -
To all new and existing volunteers, we extend a warm thank you, your support is greatly appreciated. Our members tell us they love having company and getting out, which is why HRVAB volunteers are all important in helping blind and partially sighted people maintain their independence and combat the isolation and loneliness that threatens their everyday lives.
If you know of anyone who might be interested in volunteering, please let us know! Whatever your skills or interests we have a place for you.
