Rockvale Rebound News

Last updated 17th May, 2012

 

OTHER SERVICES. 
 

      Whilst the talking newspaper service is in itself a worthwhile service feel that there is more that we can do in order to make people’s lives less traumatic.  On the information slant we also provide two magazine tapes.  Yes!  Not just one but two!  The first one which is called ‘On The Rebound’ came into being in October 1985.  We had found that trying to include other information in a sixty minute tape was not just difficult, but really impossible without seriously affecting the local news.  To that end a team was set up to examine the possibility of reproducing articles which were contained in available printed magazines, covering a wider selection of informative items.  This did not prove to be a simple task at that time because publishers were not altogether rushing to help us.  However, there were some magazines which had specific articles which could be used for that purpose.  Nowadays, the situation is very much a different kettle of fish, and by far, most magazine publishers welcome the notion that their magazines can actually be enjoyed by blind and partially sighted folk.  The production of a taped magazine follows similar lines to a talking newspaper in that each team member has the responsibility for researching specific categorical items such as health features, recipes and so on.  These are recorded in exactly the same way as the T. N. and are produced on a monthly basis, being copied while the tapes, wallets and address cards are being sorted out.

  Our other magazine came into being in 1993 and enjoys the name of ‘Rebound Roundabout’.  It is produced by our chairman, Bobby Simpson M.B.E. and was originally conceived for two reasons.  One was to complete the circle since the newstapes were very local, and the ‘On The Rebound’ magazine branched well outside that area, it was felt that a more localised magazine should be initiated to draw in the loop again.  As well as that, Bobby felt that there was an opportunity for visually impaired people within the organisation to play a fuller part in the practical side of it.  He chose three other visually impaired folk and the venture began.  Sadly, though, the three people didn’t exactly feel comfortable with microphones pointing at other folk, but the project had started, and he was reluctant to give it up at such an early stage, and hoped some other visually impaired people might come forward.  It was not to be, though, so he had to carry it on by himself.  He has been doing so for seventeen years now!!  The features contained within “Rebound Roundabout” are about as wide and varied as they can possibly be and a huge spectrum of subjects have and are still covered.  Such as nature visits to places like Levengrove Park and Balloch Country Park, the annual Festival Fun Day, interviews with well known local people as well as radio and television personalities and people from all walks of life who have found themselves in most unusual and sometimes precarious situations. 

      These magazines are produced monthly and they leapfrog each other so that there is a taped magazine on offer every fortnight.

      There are other things which the Rockvale Rebound has undertaken to try to make people’s lives a bit more bearable.  We have a Summer outing each year and we try to keep the destinations as varied as possible, usually choosing to go somewhere on the coast one year and somewhere inland the next year.  The reason for us branching into that sphere is that we are very conscious of the fact that some of our members do not have the confidence to venture out of doors on their own, and since we make sure that they can take an escort with them on these outings, they at least get one enjoyable trip each year.  What has a bus outing to do with talking newspapers?  Essentially it may appear that they are completely disconnected, but our members then have an opportunity to meet up with other people with the same problems as themselves and can share experiences as well as discuss the benefits they get from our tape service. 

      The same can be said of our annual Christmas lunch, and once again, many of our members do not have the chance to enjoy and join in at a social occasion at that very special time of year.  It also gives some of our folk the opportunity to display some of their own talents by way of singing, reciting poetry or playing a musical instrument, and over the years, that has come to the fore so many times.

      We even turn our ’Annual General Meeting’ into a social occasion in that there is always a buffet lunch provided to enjoy after the organisations business has been attended to.

      We also do something else which is quite unique in Scotland, if not the whole of the U.K. and that is that we have a four weekly hand delivery service where a small army of volunteers, properly vetted, pick up a maximum of tapes and physically deliver to some of our members.  In doing this, we can ensure that those people who live on their own have a visit from someone known to them at least once month.  So, all in all we feel that we are providing a service which is second to none in the whole country.       

 

View All Stories

---