Director's Blog.
Update - Choccies Gone!
Sorry everyone, The Rehab Team at RCT are the proud owners of the tub of choccies. Well done them, and better luck to everyone else next time"!Free Chocolates Galore!!
I'm afraid we're not the best at healthy eating in our office. It's rather too often that we have doughnuts, cakes or other naughty treats around.This week we've decided to start being a little bit healthy. So we've cut down on the doughnuts, dusted off the fruit bowl, and even I've brought my push bike in for local travel to meetings
The net result is that we've got a unopened box of chocolates here. First one to mail me at phil@wcb-ccd.org.uk will have it posted to them!
Moved, Moved, Moved!
Well, the move to our new office has come and gone, together with some of our staff's backs I believe as we helped move!We're now happily located in Hallinan's House, just opposite the road from our old office. Our new base is nice, bright, and open plan.!
Drop in for a cup of tea and meet the team if you feel like it!
The Launch of the Welsh VI Strategy
"What a great night!" - that was the response heard from many of visually impaired people who attended the launch of the Welsh Vision Strategy. Held at the Seynedd here in Cardiff, the launch was a celebration of the UK Vision Strategy's latest family member - the Welsh Strategy.We believe that the Strategy represents a great opportunity to develop services across Wales, to improve things in way that really does make a difference to people's lives.
I'd like to say a huge thanks to all those who attended, particularly the very many people with a visual impairment who came to meet the various Minsters and A.M.s who helped make the event such a success. Especially big thanks go to the team at RNIB for bringing it all together.
And in agreement with those I spoke too, it was indeed a great night!
UK Vision Consultation - Let us know!
Well, the UK Vision Strategy for Wales has been sent out to our partners. We really encourage you to look at a copy, and welcome your comments. The whole point of a consultation is to hear your views on what you think is good, bad and indifferent.The strategy will drive much of the progress here in Wales over the forthcoming years, so we beleive it is really important to hear YOUR views.
If you would like to receive a copy, get in contact with us using our address above, email or call the office. We can get one sent out in Braille, audio version, large print or any other type that you'd like to have.
Uk Vision Strategy: What it means for Wales
Next week, WCB and the RNIB launch a consultation on our proposed UK Vision Strategy Implementation Plan for Wales. 'Oh good', I hear you all say.. 'Another Plan. Just what we've been waiting for'.Normally, I'd be the first to say that there are way to many plans around. Sometimes the sector is accused of spending more time making plans about plans than actually doing stuff. But this time I'm going to go so far as to say that we NEED this plan. If there was a 'most-important-plan-ever-for-visually-impaired-people' award, I'd recommend the UK Vision Strategy.
Why?
Well, it used to be that if there was a big problem, for example, poor access to a desperately needed drug to avoid blindness, or trying to ensure that people get access to timely rehab, then we'd hear about it from our users. Our job was to traditionally try and squeeze improvements out of whoever was thought to be to blame. The NHS, central government, local councils.. all would be subject to campaigning from charities to try and address the problem. It's a crude way of putting it, but we'd try to squeeze them to spend more money to address problems. We wanted them to employ more staff to deliver quicker services to a higher standard. We wanted more money.
All well and good, but as I write this now, it's 16 days away from the beginning of 2010 and we're seeing the long term impact of the biggest recession on record. Everyone I talk to says that we're going to be dealing with the financial legacy of this for years to come. Savings, cut-backs and rationalization will colour public services for the foreseeable future. The traditional pressure from the third sector to get our partners to spend more cash will not achieve much.
We need a new approach.
That's why the Welsh Strategy Plan is so important. Firstly, it really is collaborative. It's not about one party shaming or coercing another party to do something. It's about genuinely sharing the need to change something.Its membership covers health, social care, third sector, users, government and professionals. Any partner who would like to join can. There is no 'us and them' about this plan.
Secondly, it's the biggest thing Wales has ever done to achieve change. It covers many strands of work that people with a visual impairment say is important. By the time the consultation finishes it will be an agreed set of priorities that we can focus on. Together. All of us.
Lastly, it will give all of us a rallying call. WCB will be working hard in the New Year to ensure that local societies know about the plan, and understand how they can be a part of it. From the largest local society to the smallest club that meets in someone's kitchen, there is a part for us all to play.
So don't sigh when the Plan goes out for consultation.
Read it.
Let us know your views.
Be part of it.