From:-
TORCH TRUST FOR THE BLIND, Torch House, Torch Way, Northampton Road, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 9HL, U.K.
Telephone: (01858) 438260, Fax: (01858) 438275, email: info@torchtrust.org
Charity Number 1095904.
2009 will be Torch Trust's fiftieth year. It represents a huge opportunity to raise the profile of the work of Torch and we plan to take full advantage of it. The Foursight for the Church initiative (see below) is the first step; building links with churches and seeking to help them fully include blind and partially sighted people.
Although what Torch has achieved since its origins in the 1950's is amazing, I think we are more aware than ever of the size of the challenge that faces us. The number of people in the UK population with sight loss continues to rise (mainly a result of the aging population) and we are still serving only a tiny fraction.
Worldwide there are around 38 million blind people and a staggering 124 million with low vision. Together this is equivalent to the population of Pakistan! Torch sends magazines in alternative formats to readers in 100 countries, but so many still have no Christian materials that they can access - and many have still to hear about Jesus.
It's too big a challenge for Torch alone. Thankfully others are working to address the same need and our jubilee year brings the opportunity to re-energise our network of international partnerships.
Please join us in our prayers for God's help in making the connections that enable us to express the love of Jesus to many more blind and partially sighted people across the UK and around the world.
Gordon Temple
Spring Harvest at Skegness was especially significant for Torch this year. For the first time we had our own spot in the exhibition. Our striking new exhibition stand presented the Foursight for the Church four-step programme - reinforced by the colourful bookmarks distributed from the stand:
With a computer on the stand, visitors were able to register there and then - and 116 did! Many others took the Foursight brochure and bookmark to pass onto their church leaders. Each one registered will receive Torch's new church pack with resources to help churches become more welcoming and inclusive for those with sight loss.
With such an encouraging response we are optimistic that we will be making a difference in many UK churches. Visit www.torch-foursight.org to register your own church or pass on the enclosed brochure to a church leader.
Speaking to a gathering of almost 4000 in the Big Top, Jeff Lucas made a powerfully worded apology for their treatment in many churches to disabled people. He expressed appreciation in this way: "We are one with you, we value you in the body of Christ, we celebrate your faithfulness which is an inspiration to us." Gordon Temple, who was at Skegness for week 3 as Special Needs and Disability Consultant, heard from disabled people present how encouraged they were by this.
Bishop Tom Wright who came to speak at one of the Big Top celebrations was delighted to see copies of his new book, Surprised by Hope, in giant print and braille. He wrote a message of appreciation to the Torch team on the flyleaf of the giant print edition. Along with Deluded by Dawkins by Andrew Brown these braille and giant print editions were available for sale on the Wesley Owen bookstalls, and several copies were purchased.
It was also exciting to see two blind men involved in leading worship at the "alternative" evening celebrations. Thuy Mallalius played keyboard and Gary Redfern-Gray bass guitar in a band led by Stuart Barbour who happens to lead worship at The Point church, where Torch's holidays leader, Gail Millar, worships!
Janet Stafford, just back from a six-week visit to Malawi, gives further insight into the conditions there.
Floods in January brought a lot of suffering to people in both Malawi and Mozambique. Two visits to Mozambique and one to a refugee camp in Malawi meant a lot to the blind people. We saw and heard many testimonies of God's protection and deliverance.
The numbers of blind people affected were so great that help given has been an encouragement to them to keep holding on to God in the difficult days ahead. Each blind person was given soap, sugar, salt, medicine, blanket and money to buy food.
People also had opportunity to hear the Word of God, which brought a positive response from them and it was good to see folks smiling and singing again!
Shortly after I left, Lapson headed back to Mozambique to meet with the key pastors to look into the possibility of housing some of the blind people in safer areas. There are no quick solutions but we want to help in the right way and as God shows us.
Among many stories, we heard from Alena, a blind lady. The floods came and the waters began to rise - first to her ankles, then her knees, her waist, her chest, her shoulders and then her chin! This was the end? Was it? All the while she prayed, despite feeling all hope was lost. At the very last minute help came and she was rescued. What trauma but what a deliverance. Praise the Lord.
Twenty-five readers of the braille mobile library came together for a morning to share the blessings received from the books and give encouragement to each other. It was a significant time of great joy and, in particular, appreciation of the four pastors who take the books to the village in boxes on the back of their bicycles. The braille volumes have become "friends" to the blind people and have lifted their loneliness and isolation.
Mr Kusowa was at the end of everything. He was ignored by the visitors who came to his home as his wife was sighted, felt he had no worth and wasn't wanted by anyone. He planned to attend the overnight fellowship time for blind people and then kill himself when he returned home. But God had different plans. At the overnight gathering, Mr Kusowa met Jesus and his life was transformed. He testified how God had entered his life and changed his heart and thinking. He now had worth and felt special - a child of the living God.
HIV/AIDS is the scourge of many African nations. In Malawi, over 14% of the population suffers with it and 84,000 die annually as a result, and the average life expectancy is now only 37. A similar situation exists in Zimbabwe and also in some other Central and West African countries.
The United Bible Societies have recently supported Torch in the production of three braille booklets for AIDS sufferers. The titles are: Living in Hope; Where is the Good Samaritan Today; Take Charge.
All three booklets comprise selected Scripture verses of special relevance to those facing a bleak and uncertain future, or no future at all. Two of the booklets also include practical advice for coping with the disease, and for avoiding it. We have so far produced these in English for Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Sierra Leone; in Chichewa for Malawi, in Shona for Zimbabwe, and Ndabele for Zimbabwe.
This year there is the opportunity to get involved with either of two Summer Camps for blind and partially sighted children in Romania. Dezna Torch, which now operates independently of the Torch Trust, has requested volunteer help for a summer camp which will run from 30th June to 6th July.
Light into Europe, a Christian charity based in Bucharest is also organising a summer camp at Dorna, a wonderful mountain village, from 1st to 10th July, and is also seeking volunteers. Volunteers will need to cover their own costs.
If this interests you contact Torch House for more information.
Are you still wondering where to book a holiday? If so, how about one of these?
There are spaces at the following - all held at Torch Holiday & Retreat Centre:
June 9-13: Journey into Life
" 28-July 5: Christianity Explored
August 23-30: Travellers' Tales - Jesus Stories
September 6-13: The Truth will set you Free
" 27-October 4: Walking Week - Walking God's Way
October 6-10: In His Footsteps
" 31-November 4: Computer Weekend
September 1-9: French houseparty
And new this year:
June 2-6: Visiting the Cotswolds - Windmill Farm, Bampton
" 22-26: Resting at the foot of the Mountains, Glenada, County Down.
For any of these holidays, contact: 01273 832282 or email: holidays@torchtrust.org
Early summer is a wonderful time of light, colour and new growth; the time of year that promises much for the remainder of the year. Torch is also witnessing many new shoots with the promise of fresh growth through our network of Groups around different parts of the UK. We have 18 potential new Torch Fellowship Groups, some more advanced than others, that we are looking to support and launch, either this year or in 2009.
Gordon Temple, Torch's Chief Executive writes: "I am so encouraged to see moves towards eighteen or more new Torch Fellowship Groups across the UK. Not since the early years of Torch has there been a time with anything like this number of new Groups in prospect.''
It also gives us immense delight to announce the appointment of two new Regional Coordinators for Kent and South Wales. Cynthia Hoare comes with a wealth of experience as she is closely involved with the Group in Tonbridge and was until recently working with the Kent Association for the Blind. Verena Walder, based near Swansea, is a licensed Reader actively involved with many churches in her locality; partially sighted, she is a Torch Library user. We warmly welcome and wish them many blessings and encouragements.
It's over 18 months since the Bridlington Torch Fellowship Group started. We asked David and Val Radford how they had been getting on ...
"When we started in May 2006, we had intended to reach a younger age group, but those who come are actually between 60 and 96! It does make you feel young (at 65) when you sit having tea between two birthday ladies aged 90.
"For our first anniversary Peter Jackson came and did a concert. We were joined by the Hull Group and others.
"In December 2007 we had a visit from the Torch choir. Again we were joined by the Hull Group and visitors from Scarborough. We started by having lunch together.
"Other activities have included:
At the end of April over 60 people from the Fellowship Groups in Northern Ireland joined together for a Regional Day. It was good to have people from Ballymena and Bambridge who are interested in starting new groups.
[David Palmer writes:]
Earlier this year at our annual Regional Coordinators Conference we sought to focus our thoughts on mission and the many opportunities that exist to start new Groups in our different regions. I began by reminding the delegates that at God's heart is mission. He sent his one and only son Jesus into this world to redeem his people from their sins; he sent the Holy Spirit as the aid and comforter to the followers of Christ and he sends us to continue Jesus' mission on earth. Jesus states quite categorically in the Gospel of John chapter 20 verse 21: "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you". We are therefore made for mission.
Torch has at its heart God's mission. Torch has come a long way in the past 49 years and witnessed some major changes in terms of its scope and impact. Technology has improved radically; blind and partially sighted people's expectations are higher as we have sought a higher standard of excellence in our services and products to a wider range of people. The vision of helping overcome sight loss as a barrier to finding a personal faith in Christ and living a fulfilled Christian life is fundamental in all we seek to do. That is the foundation upon which we build. But we do need to move forward if we want to remain relevant and distinctive. And that is particularly important with our Torch Fellowship Groups seeking new models of working to engage and respond to different needs and diverse cultures. Rather than burying our heads in the sand, we aim to respond with fresh faith, courage and that under-girding commitment to mission - God's mission.
On 18th April, Vision 2020 launched the UK Vision Strategy. Developed under the leadership of RNIB chief executive, Lesley-Anne Alexander, it calls for joined-up thinking across the various statutory and voluntary sector bodies that are concerned with everything from eye health to the support of blind people. Gordon Temple and Mike Townsend both contributed to the consultation on behalf of the Torch Trust. You can download the Strategy document and the Guardian supplement, Vision of the future, using the links on the Torch website.
Don't forget to tune into Torch's weekly radio programme. It goes out at 9 pm each Saturday evening. We've been encouraged by increasing feedback.
You can tune into it on any of the following: 1305 1332 1413 MW, Sky Digital 0123, Virgin Media 968, Freeview 725, DAB.
Come and join us for a summer evening BBQ. Meet the team and see what we do.
Our annual thanksgiving celebration takes on a new look this year, with 2 sessions and lunch between. Our venue is St Peter's Baptist Church, a brand new building in Worcester with easy access from the M5.
Alongside an informal time of singing, news and chat hosted by blind pianist Peter Jackson, there will be two workshops, one for those involved in the leadership of Torch Fellowship Groups and the other for volunteers that support Torch literature work.
After lunch, provided by local volunteers, we'll all be together for a celebratory meeting with testimonies and worship led by the Torch team.
Further information will be in the next edition.
The term "for the blind" has become an increasingly inappropriate tail on Torch Trust's name. Does it include partially sighted people? Torch certainly serves both blind and partially sighted people, including many with sight loss who would not apply these terms to themselves.
Though we do not plan to change our legal name we are dropping the "for the blind" from everyday use - adopting just "Torch Trust". Our new logo will simply say "Torch" with the addition of a new phrase: "vision for people with sight loss". The torch symbol remains, with the cross clearly displayed to identify the Torch Trust as thoroughly Christian.
About a year ago Torch's audio department started a trial of a recording system which allows a transcriber to record and edit a book straight onto a DAISY CD.
Despite the inevitable problems encountered with anything new the trial has been a success, not least with the transcribers who no longer have to worry about making mistakes as they record! Also it has proved popular with the editors whose workload has reduced greatly now that the recordings arrive in a near publishable condition.
We hope the increased availability of DAISY books will encourage even more library users to adopt the DAISY CD system in preference to cassette. Once they have experienced the improved audio quality, the convenience of altering the speed of playback to suit and the ability to navigate to, say, a chapter that interests them, then there is no going back. Add in the option of a DAISY New Testament Bible (available from Torch at £3.99) with its scope for selecting chapter and verse, and it's an unbeatable system. Work has now begun on the DAISY Old Testament which we hope will be available by the end of the year.
The trial of the recording system involved 6 transcribers and we will now be looking to extend it to the remaining 20. Each new machine costs £500 so it will be quite a while before the whole department is equipped. However when that happens we will have a much greater output of DAISY books, and a happier volunteer workforce!
500 Christian Bookshops receive Torch Literature.
By the time you read this we will have sent 500 packs to Christian Bookshops all over the UK! The pack includes our Christian Resources Catalogue, The Bible for Blind and Partially Sighted people, Information for Christian Booksellers news-sheet, a poster and a response card. Our hope is that Christian booksellers will think about all the churches, church halls and community centres in their localities and then return the response card asking us for more of the posters, on which they can put their name and address to place them on church notice boards.
We hope too, that the Bookshops will want to stock some of our free inspirational give-aways and our tactile greetings cards as well as be willing to help anyone seeking literature in an accessible format.
We would really appreciate your prayers for the success of this outreach venture.
Summer is a great time for a relaxing read and our Resource Catalogue is packed full of great Christian literature.
So whether you want something to while away the long sunny summer days or a gift for a friend complete with tactile card or perhaps something to give away that will inspire, we have an amazing variety for you to choose from.
Issue 3 of the Resources Catalogue is now available!
Many of our readers still favour the cassette tape as their preferred audio medium, and therefore Torch will continue to offer it as long as the demand remains and we retain the ability to reproduce it. However in recognition of the universal availability and improved sound quality of CDs we are now planning to offer all our magazines in audio CD format, hoping that all will be available by the end of the year.
This option will be available for Torch Family News from the next (autumn) issue onwards. If you would like to receive the magazine in the CD format, please contact us at Torch House on 01858 438260 or email: info@torchtrust.org.
Andrew joined Torch at the end of February in the newly created post of Assistant Chief Executive.
For some years, Torch had been looking to recruit someone to oversee the charity's administrative and financial processes. Andrew trained in banking, was minister of a Baptist Church, already lived and worked - with FIEC - in Market Harborough and was well acquainted with the work of Torch.
The appointment will increasingly free up the various Team Leaders to deliver the front line services for which Torch is well known. Andrew's role also encompasses the various exhibitions at which Torch is represented and responsibility for building maintenance.
Will came to work at Torch Holiday & Retreat Centre in February of this year as a general assistant. His main role is to ensure the routine jobs are undertaken well and that the Centre runs smoothly, giving support to the team and guests. Will lives in Brighton and commutes.
Towards the end of last year a young lady knocked on our door and asked if she could help. Susan, living in Market Harborough, was looking for something to do. At that time we were looking for someone to help the Premier Radio team and Susan's skills fitted in well.
After an initial period as a volunteer she now works for us part time as a staff member. She is responsible for research and script writing for Premier Radio and for other publications, and the preparation and setting up of exhibitions. It has been good to welcome Susan to the Torch Team.
Volunteers play a vital role in the life and work of Torch Trust. In fact approximately one third of those working regularly at Torch House are volunteers who give over 105 hours per week to a variety of tasks which include transcription, gardening, finance and preparing items for dispatch. Many connections are made through current staff and volunteers and through our local Volunteer Centre.
Many others work from their own homes as transcribers or library reviewers. Then there are hundreds who help out at their local Torch Fellowship Groups. Still others are Church Reps in their own places of worship.
Some volunteers have found that they are able to give a weekend or week of their time to help with holidays in West Sussex at Torch Holiday & Retreat Centre.
Here are some comments from the volunteers themselves:
"The feel good factor's lovely" ... [at Torch House] "we start with chapel which sets you up for the day" ... "a lovely atmosphere at Torch!" ... "I enjoy being part of the work. I also enjoy the fellowship and the fun that we have together" ... "I've just finished recording my first book." ... "Over the years you learn certain skills and at an opportune moment God seems to open a door when you can use that particular skill." ... "You can meet lots of new people and you'll be surprised by how much you'd enjoy it."
Paul Wood, our Leader - Technical Services - is being seconded for two years to help Nueva Luz, a Spanish mission with similar aims to Torch Trust. Paul tells of their imminent move.
Boxes, boxes everywhere! This is the scene that meets us whenever we come back home! As I write this we - Paul, Susana and 9-month old Lidia - are preparing to leave for Spain at the beginning of May, and God willing, by the time you read this, we will be unpacked the other end. It seems as if it's taken so long to get to this point of moving and now we have so little time to get so much done!
God has provided a brand new flat for us to rent, just metres from Susana's parents and the Metro, by which I will commute to Nueva Luz. Relatives, back from Cyprus, will be renting our house while we are away.
We have really seen God's hand on this move and we would appreciate your continued prayers as we unpack and settle down to the daunting tasks ahead.
On 8th March Gail and Stuart Millar were married. A service of blessing was conducted by Revd Will Kemp, minister of The Point church, in the chapel of Torch Holiday and Retreat Centre (Torch HRC), with well-known singer/songwriter, Matt Redman, giving the address.
It was a very special day for Gail and Stuart, and for the many family, friends and colleagues invited to the celebrations. To Gail's surprise and delight her daughter, Emma, was baptised by The Point church on Easter morning, the very day she and Stuart returned from honeymoon.
Gail continues in her roles as Leader: Holidays and manager of Torch HRC, and she and Stuart are making their home in the annex to the Centre.
Rev Malcolm Duncan is the Leader of Faithworks with responsibility for inspiring, leading and developing the Movement globally. Malcolm has helped Christians engage in partnerships across the voluntary, statutory and faith sectors for a number of years. Malcolm is committed to seeing the church engage in integral mission. He has led churches for over a decade and is passionate about the church serving the poor and excluded. He regularly writes, broadcasts, preaches and teaches on issues of mission, engagement, inclusion and partnership.
Malcolm is married to Debbie, a Nurse Practitioner in primary care and an independent and supplementary nurse prescriber. They have four children and live on the Berkshire/Hampshire border where Malcolm also leads a local community of faith called Mortimer West End Chapel.
Malcolm loves classical music, opera and Irish folk music and relaxes by playing the saxophone and clarinet. He enjoys reading or watching a good movie, and his ideal night out is a great meal with his family and going to a good night in the theatre.
Not everything in Alistair Darling's Budget has gone down well, but the reprieve on Gift Aid reduction expected in April was very welcome news for Torch. It is however very evident that we face tougher times. The disarray in the banking sector, the drop in high street takings, the steep rise in food and energy prices impacts us all. I suppose we shouldn't be surprised that the growth in donation income seen over the past year or so has now reversed. This has to be a concern since Torch also faces increasing costs.
Once again legacies have plugged the gap. God surely knows what we need and when. More regular donations through standing order - often with the benefit of Gift Aid - help bring a measure of stability to Torch's finances. But just 7% of our income currently comes from committed standing order giving.
Gordon Temple