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"I have always wanted to do a skydive, but wanted to do it for a local cause. I am feeling really nervous about it, and excited at the same time. Jumping out of a plane is easy compared to the challenges that many visually impaired people overcome on a daily basis.

I am really pleased to be raising money for Sight Support Derbyshire."

Clare Fullaway on taking part in a Tandem Skydive to raise money for Sight Support Derbyshire

Looking After Your Eyes

Diet - Studies show that what we eat can affect our vision. Antioxidants can help to prevent retinal damage.

Exercise - Lack of exercise contributes significantly to several eye conditions, particularly amongst people aged 60 and over. Exercise may reduce the risk of sight loss from narrowing or hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Alcohol - Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to serious health conditions which can have a detrimental effect on your eye health.

Smoking - After ageing, smoking is the biggest risk factor for developing macular degeneration.

"Without Sight Support Derbyshire I would have lost my home"

Lucy Moore

More News page 7

Match Ball Auction

Would you like to be the person to deliver the match ball to the centre circle and hand it to the referee at Derby County’s match against Southampton on the 15th October 2011?

Take part in a silent auction and bid for this fantastic opportunity!

Please click here for more details…

Blind Faith

There's a video on YouTube that shows a teenager stumbling through a dimly lit maze. He bumps into walls and makes achingly slow progress through to the other side. Then it shows the same man several months later, gliding through the setup with apparent ease.

The difference? The second run was after the young man had undergone gene therapy for a rare inherited form of degenerative blindness called Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis, (LCA) during which a virus carrier was injected into his eye to deliver copies of the correct version of his faulty gene.

Please click here for more on this story...

Rams legend faces his fears

Derby County Football Club hero Roger Davis will be the first person to step out onto the red hot coals at Pride Park Stadium’s first fire walk for a local blind charity next month.

Rams legend Roger Davis will be leading the way and will be the first person to walk over fire at Pride Park. Roger says "I'm both excited and nervous ahead of what will be a spectacular night fire walking at Pride Park. My feet have obviously served me well over the years so I'm keen for them to survive the heat. It sounds like a fantastic experience and I'd encourage as many people to join me in the event as they can”.

Click here for more details of this event...

Members holiday to Llandudno

Sight Support Derbyshire members gathered outside Pride Park Stadium for a group photograph before leaving for a holiday in Llandudno at the end of September 2011.

Please click here for a larger image...

Cocaine users are 45% more likely to develop glaucoma - even if they've given up the drug

People who take cocaine or are former users are 45 per cent more likely to develop a common form of blindness, a large study has found. Researchers also found they developed glaucoma 20 years earlier on average than patients without a history of drug use.

For more on this story please click here...

Cheque awarded to help develop the Ilkeston group

A cheque was awarded by Erewash Borough Council to help develop the Ilkeston group. In providing services to blind and partially sighted people in Ilkeston. The money will go towards hiring a room and increasing membership, along with subsidising outings and transport.

Please click here for more details...

Bank Note Appeal

Do you have any French, Finnish or Greek pre euro notes? if so you can donate these to us and help visually impared people within your local community.

For more information on how to do this and also turn other unwanted or broken items into a donation for us through our recycle scheme pleaseclick here...

Derby Zombie Walk for Charity

Zombies will be wandering around the streets of Derby next month.

Members of the public are being invited to dress in spooky costumes to take part in the city's first charity zombie walk.

Please click here for full story...

Register at Spend and Raise and be entered into a prize draw to win shopping vouchers

Sight Support Derbyshire has teamed up with Spend and Raise to help raise money for Sight Support Derbyshire whilst you shop online.

If you register with Spend and Raise as a Supporter before midnight onMonday 31st October 2011 you'll be automatically entered into the prize draw to win up to £100 in shopping vouchers.

For more information on raising money for us with Spend and Raise and for further details on the prize draw please click here...

Anthony to cycle 98 miles in memory of his father

Anthony Poyser and Allan Hunt will be leading a 98 mile cycle ride to raise much needed funds for over 25,000 blind and partially sighted people in Derby and Derbyshire.

On October 31st Anthony and Allan will cycle 98 miles from Pride Park in Derby to Skegness in memory of Anthony’s late father who died last year.

Please click here for full story...

First trial of embryonic stem cell treatment in Europe gets green light

Patients in Britain with an eye disease that leads to blindness will take part in Europe's first human embryonic stem cell trial.

British surgeons are to take part in the first trial in patients of a human embryonic stem cell therapy to gain approval from regulators in Europe.

Please click here for more on this story...

Cardiff researchers study blindness and depression link

More than a third of blind and visually-impaired people could also suffer from depression, it has been claimed.

Researchers at Cardiff School of Optometry are launching what they believe is the UK's first clinical study into the problem.

For more on this story please click here...

Ward, Fielding and Shackall confirmed as Derby County players for Sight Support Derbyshire
Golf Day

The last few remaining places are available to take on Jamie Ward, Frank Fielding and Jamie Shackall from Derby County at Golf at the Morley Hayes on the 28th September with the winning team receiving 2 tickets each to a Derby County home match.

Please click here for more information...

Pride Park 'bums on seats' challenge a success

A Derby County fan and five friends have succeeded in sitting on all 33,597 seats at Pride Park in one night.

Gareth Griffiths said he was feeling "sore and bruised" after finishing the charity attempt in under four hours.

Please click here to read full story...

Walk over fire at Pride Park

Sight Support Derbyshire have another first for you to have a go it as you can take part in the first ever firewalk at Pride Park Stadium.

On the 6th November you have the opportunity to walk barefoot over red-hot wood embers measuring around 800 degrees at Derby County’s Pride Park Stadium.

Please click here for more news and information on this event...

Clare takes to the skies with Sight Support Derbyshire

Local charity Sight Support Derbyshire are giving people the last chance to jump out of planes in 2011.

Sight Support Derbyshire skydives take place at Langar Airfield and are run by the British Parachute School who have been a professional sky diving school since 1977.

Please click here for more on this story...

Play golf against Derbys goal scorer Jamie Ward and win 2 Derby County tickets!!

The last few remaining places are available to take on Derby County players at Golf at the Morley Hayes on the 28th September with the winning team receiving 2 tickets each to a Derby County home match.

Please click here for more information...

Google enhances accessibility in Google Docs, Sites and Calendar

Google have been working closely with advocacy organizations for the blind to improve their products with more accessibility enhancements.

As more people are using Google visually impaired people face a unique set of challenges on the web.

Please click here to read more on this story...

Drew gets behind the wheel for charity

Daredevil Drew Falconer has raised more than £1500 for charity after taking the wheel of a 10-ton bus – his first driving experience since he started losing his sight more than 25 years ago.

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More help for disabled as charity and former job-seeker join forces

A charity has joined forces with a man who applied for almost 2,000 jobs to promote the rights of disabled people.

Sight Support Derbyshire has set up Sight Ed to work in partnership with Richard Shakespeare, who applied for 1,923 jobs after being made redundant from internet bank Egg in September 2009.

Please click here for more on this story...

Concerns for proposed changes to phone numbers

Local charity Sight Support Derbyshire is concerned that proposed telephone number changes could potentially affect thousands of blind and partially sighted people following Ofcom's warning that numbers are running out.

Communications regulator Ofcom have released new plans which will mean that many traditional six-digit numbers will no longer work and users will need to dial the number including the national dialling code even when making a local call.

Please click here for more on this story...

Looking After Your Eyes