Archived News Items - Torch Trust

Popular international Christian author, speaker and broadcaster Jeff Lucas has accepted an invitation to address TOUCHING THE WORD, a celebration of accessible Bibles being organised by Torch Trust on October 22 at St Martin-in-the Fields Church in Trafalgar Square, London.

‘It’s hugely exciting that so many talented blind people are going to be contributing to this event,’ said Torch CEO Dr Gordon Temple.

‘The acclaimed young blind recitalist Victoria Oruwari will be singing. A number of other people with sight loss will be talking about the significance of accessible Bibles to them. And the Revd Helen Patten will tell the story of the Guild of Church Braillists, this year celebrating their centenary.’

Kevin Carey, chair of RNIB, will be one of a team of blind people reading the King James Bible out loud from the portico of the church to begin TOUCHING THE WORD. The event forms part of the nationwide year of thanksgiving marking the 400^th anniversary of the King James Bible – the most significant and influential book ever printed in the English language. TOUCHING THE WORD, one of thousands of events linked with the Biblefresh initiative, will specifically celebrate the diversity of Bibles available to people with sight loss – everything from braille and large print to various audio, e-reader and online versions.

The public reading in braille from 10.30am will be followed by a service at 11.30am. The event is organised by a partnership led by Torch Trust which includes the Guild of Church Braillists, RNIB, Compass Braille and Premier Christian Radio.

All are welcome. Tickets are free and available online at www.premier.org.uk/biblecelebration or by calling 01858 438260. Tea and coffee will be available free from 1pm after the service, and a sandwich lunch can be booked in advance for a donation of £5.

NEW ONLINE BIBLE RESOURCE FOR PEOPLE WITH SIGHT LOSS

For the first time, blind and partially sighted people have a one-stop site for information about hundreds of Bibles and Bible resources in accessible media – braille, large print, audio and Internet – and for formats such as electronic braille machines and e-readers.

Sheila Armstrong, who’s been blind since birth and works in braille transcription services, was enthusiastic about the new resource.

‘Going onto the accessible Bibles section of the Torch Trust website, where loads of accessible Bibles in all media, shapes and sizes are listed, was an exciting experience for me. Now, there’s absolutely no excuse for not having a Bible anywhere, any time. But I won’t forget a warning a godly Christian once gave me: “The more copies of the Bible you have, the greater your responsibility.” Whether this is true or not, I’m truly thankful for all the accessible Bibles, and that Torch Trust has worked hard to group them all together in one place.

‘We’re really just signposting the huge amount of what’s now available – and though it’s early days we’ve received an enthusiastic response to the resource from many of the organisations listed.’

‘Audio Bibles and Bible resources, for example, come in a range of formats – audio CD, DAISY CD, mp3 CD and cassette – and the new listing will show what’s available in each of those.’

‘Now that we have gathered together all this information, we are able to deliver it in a format that suits the individual,’ Andrew said. ‘So that means we can print and post it, for example, to anyone without access to the internet.’

To find the new online resource, go to torchtrust.org/bibles or choose ‘Literature’ from the drop-down menu on the left of the Torch Trust homepage (torchtrust.org) and then select ‘Bibles in Accessible Media’.

AND THE BISHOP CAME TOO!

When a Dartford blind group gathered for tea recently, there was a surprise visitor – the new Bishop of Rochester! Sue Stuttard, leader of the Dartford Torch Fellowship Group, describes how it happened: ‘The bishop was visiting our deanery to get to know everyone. Richard Mortimer, vicar at Christ Church where the Torch Fellowship meets, thought that because of the bishop’s visit he’d not be able to come along to us as planned – but in the end the bishop came too!‘

We were all honoured and thrilled to spend the afternoon together. At the beginning of our meeting the bishop introduced himself and he conducted our final prayer and blessing. He then joined us for tea and circulated among our members, chatting to everybody, showing us all that he really cares about all of us as individuals. It was an absolute joy.'

The Dartford group is about 30-strong, about 15 of whom are blind or partially sighted, and they meet monthly at Christ Church on the first Saturday. They are a lively bunch – 80-year-old member Jean Boyd, whose sight loss is due to macular degeneration, recently raised over £1500 for charity with a sponsored sky dive – and they’d welcome any new members.

The Dartford Torch Fellowship Group is one of over 100 such groups co-ordinated by Torch Trust, a Christian organisation for people who are blind or partially sighted. ‘People on the journey of sight loss often feel isolated and lonely,’ said Torch Trust CEO Dr Gordon Temple, ‘so these groups are a lifeline, offering friendship, understanding and acceptance.’ To find out if there’s a group in your locality, go to torchtrust.org or telephone 01858 438260.

Free resources to build inclusive churches

Does your church need to do more to be inclusive of blind people? And people with other disabilities? ‘Yes, Disability Sunday – usually on the first Sunday in June - has come and gone this year,’ says Torch Regional Leader David Palmer. ‘But you don’t need a special date in the diary to celebrate the diversity of the Christian family. Why don’t you work with your minister or leadership team to put on a service or series of activities which highlight the benefits of involving disabled people in church life?’

Torch Trust produces a pack of creative materials to help you do this. You can access everything from worship and sermon ideas to a poster and advice on local publicity; everything from an outline for a children’s talk to ideas to make a communion service more meaningful for blind people. There is even a five-minute DVD available of interviews with blind people talking about the difficulties encountered in the church setting.

‘Within the Kingdom of God there’s a place of significance for every one of us,’ says Torch CEO Dr Gordon Temple.

‘We are imprinted with the image of a God who himself lives in community and models relationship in perfection, and he calls us to foster Kingdom relationships that aspire to that quality. We are made to live interdependently in communities and families – in a constant interplay of giving and receiving. We need one another, and it’s only together that we can be the church, Christ’s body living on earth and engaged in the crucial work in kingdom building.’

Transformed lives in Malawi

Torch International Leader Janet Stafford has returned safely from an extended trip to oversee the ministry in Africa. As usual she has come back with many stories of the transformed lives of blind people in Malawi and heartening news of progress in distributing braille and giant print scriptures.

‘Among the highlights of this trip for me were the two overnights we held for blind people,’ reports Janet.

‘For these events, a lorry will arrive bringing a cooking team with pots, pans, dishes, food and firewood. Blind people living for miles and miles around will also be collected on lorries, some travelling hours over rough roads to reach the gathering.

‘This time one of the overnights brought together six fellowship groups and the other gathered five groups, all with the aim of providing Bible teaching and an opportunity for warm fellowship and sharing of experiences. These are always wonderful times of renewing friendships, times of spiritual renewal and, of course, of blind people coming to faith in Jesus for the first time.’

‘One group of 74 blind people were a real inspiration to be with,’ says Janet. ‘Their testimonies of appreciation for the Torch magazine and their braille Bible portions were very moving. Many also expressed their thanks for the two hymnbooks now available in braille.’

Janet also made visits to over 40 blind people and their families, often in remote and impoverished villages badly affected by the current drought and poor harvest conditions.

‘Although time-consuming, these visits to individuals are very rewarding,’ says Janet.

‘Some live in very isolated conditions. And some are in poor health and not able to travel to any fellowship group meetings – but each one needs to know that Jesus loves them and cares for them.’

‘The work remains challenging,’ concludes Janet, ‘but overall the evident growth in God in many of the blind people is really encouraging.’

After delays, there is now some progress on plans to distribute Megavoice audio Bibles in the Chichewa language. The new computer-driven braille embossers are already putting in good service, enabling the African team to respond flexibly to demand for Bible volumes. There is continuous demand for braille Bible volumes in Chichewa and a new outlet for Tumbuka language volumes, for which we praise God.

If you’d like to receive our International News for Praise and Prayer, which Janet prepares, do let us know. We also have CEO Gordon Temple’s diary of his trip to Malawi at the end of 2010, GORDON IN MALAWI, available in accessible formats.

New Accessible Versions of Updated Christianity Explored

Braille and giant print versions of the handbook for Christianity Explored have been presented by Torch Trust at the worldwide launch of the new third edition of the course.

Lucia Bellini, a blind braille transcriber who volunteers with Torch presented Craig Dyer, Training Director for Christianity Explored, with the new accessible versions at the Christian Resource Exhibition.

‘Christianity Explored lays out the Christian message in a way that is easy for a non-believer to read and think about the issues. I really enjoyed transcribing it,’ said Lucia.

Responding, Craig said, ‘We are so thrilled that you’ve done this work. All of us at Christianity Explored are absolutely committed to getting the gospel out as widely as possible and we’re so grateful to Lucia and her colleagues at Torch for producing these new versions that will help us do that.’

The Christianity Explored handbook is available in giant print and braille for £3 from Torch Trust on 01858 438260. The Leader’s Guide will be available soon.

The full range of Christianity Explored resources is available from The Good Book Company on 0333 123 0880 or at www.thegoodbook.co.uk

UNIQUE BRAILLE BIBLE READING EVENT

A unique event celebrating the 400^th anniversary of the King James Bible was put on in the town centre of Market Harborough – the home of Torch House - at the start of the Easter weekend. Four local blind readers read aloud the Gospels of Matthew and John from braille in the Waterstone’s bookshop. The event attracted a great deal of interest and an estimated 60 people attended throughout the day, many staying for extended periods to listen.

‘The anniversary of this hugely important and transformational translation of the Bible is being marked across the country by several hundred events during 2011, a number of which are public readings,’ said Torch CEO Dr Gordon Temple. ‘But the Evangelical Alliance has confirmed that our event is the only one they have heard of that involved blind people reading the Bible in braille.

‘The event was a great encouragement to us on many levels. Firstly, what better way to celebrate the Bible than by sharing the Good News accounts of the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus at Eastertime. We were also blessed by the willingness of this town centre bookshop to host the event; by the many people who came along at this busy time of year to support us so warmly; and also by the attendance of our local MP Edward Garnier.’

Torch Publications Leader Lydia Tebbutt, one of the organising team, said, ‘It was a joy to listen to the four readers – Sheila Armstrong, Jan Turner, David Angell and Mike Townsend.’

‘Whenever longer portions of the Bible are read out loud, there is always an impact on individuals listening. The readers were so fluent and expressive that the Word of God really came alive. This is no small achievement in braille. Unlike print reading, it’s not possible to see what’s coming ahead on the next line. And the event required quite a bit of stamina. The reading of Matthew’s Gospel took over three and a half hours, and it was over two and a half hours for John.’

Reader Sheila Armstrong reported that she was ‘really shattered’ after the reading.

‘But it was a great honour to read God’s Word publicly. And I was glad to demonstrate that through braille the Bible is accessible to blind people – that you can read it with your fingers instead of your eyes!’

THE KJV – ON DAISY

Torch is delighted to announce that the whole of the King James Bible is now available on DAISY audio. This transcription project has been a partnership between Torch, RNIB and Wycliffe Associates. There are 4 CDS totalling nearly 100 hours of audio, and the reading has been done by a team of British readers. The CD pack is available from Torch at £9.99 by calling 01858 438260 or emailing: info@torchtrust.org

JANET STAFFORD TO MALAWI

Our International Leader, Janet Stafford, is on an extended trip to Malawi has a demanding schedule of meetings and tasks.

Janet’s husband Michael went ahead of her to Blantyre – where Torch Trust International (Malawi) has its headquarters – preparing accounts for the trustees’ meeting and visiting local fellowship groups.

Janet will be making many visits to individual blind people and small groups - distributing aid, running clinics and dispensing basic medicines, as well as giving encouragement. In one village, a blind man was recently stabbed to death during a robbery on his home and Janet will be seeking to encourage those who knew him. On a happier note, she will be at the wedding of a woman who has been linked to Torch for many years.

Also on the programme is Janet’s involvement in the Easter conference held at Konzere; an overnight celebration and teaching time at Rivi Rivi; and an outreach to teens.

Braille reading to celebrate Bible anniversary

Torch Trust will hold a unique celebration to mark the 400^th anniversary of the King James Bible. There will be a public reading from the KJV in braille on Maundy Thursday, April 21, at the Waterstones bookshop in the centre of Market Harborough – the Leicestershire town where Torch has its HQ.

From 10am on the day, two local blind people will read St Matthew’s Gospel; from 2pm two more will read St John’s Gospel. Local people will be encouraged to come and go as they please during the readings. There will also be a Torch display, including large print, braille and audio Bibles; and Waterstones will have a display of Bibles and books about the KJV.

‘The King James Bible has been the most transformational text of the last four centuries,’ said Torch CEO Dr Gordon Temple.

‘For almost two of those centuries the Bible has been accessible to people with sight loss through braille. Torch Trust’s public braille reading on Maundy Thursday will celebrate that accessibility to the life-changing message of the Bible - and at Eastertime when we are vividly reminded of its central story.’

Savings on fantastic holidays!

Early bird bookings before the end of March will give blind guests some significant savings on Torch Holidays.

The savings apply to three special interest breaks, all based in Sussex, and to two holidays in Wales and France.

The fully-inclusive price for the five-day Creative Cooking holiday starting on March 28 at Torch Holiday & Retreat Centre in Sussex is now just £200. The cost of the Musical Melodies holiday for music lovers which runs from April 4-8 or the gardening holiday, Roots and Shoots (May 9-13), both at the Centre, is £230.

Creative Cooking is for anyone wanting to learn to create tasty meals in their own home. Holidays Leader Gail Millar has organised the holiday in response to the many compliments she gets about the delicious meals provided at the Centre. She wants to pass on her skills in ways which give blind people confidence to have a go themselves. The holiday also includes some trips out with a gastronomic theme!

Musical Melodies is a new addition to this year’s holiday programme. It’s all about enjoying music together. If you play an instrument, bring it along. There will be some surprise guests who will be giving their professional insights into songwriting and worship leading.

Roots and Shoots is a regular and popular part of the holidays programme. This year the break will include a garden party for the official opening of the newly-completed sensory garden and the new decked quiet area. As usual there will be visits out to gardens of special interest plus a talk and demonstration from a horticulturalist.

Early bird reductions are also being applied to the Wales Houseparty (May 16-20) and the France Houseparty (September 12-19).

The houseparty at the lovely Hebron Hall in Glamorgan is led by well-known blind pianist Peter Jackson. There are many opportunities on site to try different sporting activities; and in addition there will be trips out to local places of interest such as Cardiff and Barry Island. The cost for that is £260. The venue for the houseparty in France will be the beautiful Spring Harvest holiday centre, Le Pas Opton. As well as Bible teaching from big-name speakers, there will be golfing, wine-tasting, boules, tandem biking, river walks, swimming and canoeing. The cost for the week is £590, to include transport – either by road from Sussex or flights from Gatwick.

Ask too, about the special 7-night option to take part in the annual 10-day activities holiday (June 13-20) for just £380.

Torch Holidays offer specialist support for people at any stage of the sight loss journey. Not only are all activities designed to be fully accessible and researched for their suitability for blind people, but – in the words of one guest – at Torch Holiday & Retreat Centre ‘here it’s normal to be blind.’ The Torch team and volunteer helpers have been trained to give support such as guiding and audio description. Although open to people of all faiths and none, the holidays programme has a strong Christian ethos, with a daily opportunity for guests to think about their spiritual wellbeing, usually under the guidance of an experienced guest speaker.

For more details about Torch Holidays and to take full advantage of the special prices, call 01273 832282.

Lent Books for Everyone

A bishop and a former bishop provide major titles for the Lent output of transcribed books from Torch Trust this year.

Stephen Cottrell, formerly Bishop of Reading and since last year the Bishop of Chelmsford, is the author of Rich Inheritance. This course follows the usual pattern of York Lent courses with five sessions leading up to Easter. It explores the impact of the empty tomb on Jesus’ disciples and asks what it means for his followers today.

The other major title being made available for Lent in accessible media is Lent for Everyone: Matthew by Tom Wright, a leading New Testament scholar and the former Bishop of Durham. Readings from Matthew’s Gospel are interspersed with readings from the Psalms, to align with the lectionary readings for the season, and after each passage there is a 2- or 3-page reflection by Tom Wright. The book aims to help us see what it must have been like to hear the words of Jesus and see his actions for the first time. Most of the reflections begin with a helpful illustration from modern life and end with practical applications for the Christian today.

Both these titles, though specifically aimed at Lent groups, could usefully be studied at any time of the year.

‘Whether you belong to a home group or a Lent group or neither, Lent is a really good opportunity to draw nearer to Jesus,’ says Torch Publications Leader Lydia Tebbutt.

‘Starting from Ash Wednesday you can embark on a journey with Jesus as your companion and when you arrive, just six weeks later, at Easter Sunday, it will be with a new appreciation and thankfulness for what the Lord has done for us.’

These titles will be available from the end of February. Lent for Everyone is available in braille, giant print and on DAISY CD to borrow from the Torch Library or to purchase for £7.00. Rich Inheritance can be purchased in braille, giant print or on DAISY CD for £3.50. Torch also has a number of other Lent titles, plus some wonderful Easter books, available for individual or group study. Members of the office team at Torch House are always willing to chat to anyone on the phone about their requirements. Call 01858 438260.

Holidays on the horizon!

During January’s grey days it’s become traditional to plan the year’s summer holiday. If you are blind or partially sighted, you may feel that the options are somewhat limited. Or even that arranging a holiday will prove to be a series of difficult hurdles to be overcome. But what if you could go on a holiday specially for blind people and their carers? With a programme designed for people with sight loss and led by people with experience of working with them?

TORCH HOLIDAYS is about to release details of its holiday programme for 2011 – a total of 21 varied holidays between March and December. Most are based at our lovely Torch Holiday & Retreat Centre on the edge of the historic village of Hurstpierpoint in West Sussex, just nine miles from Brighton. There are general holidays which focus on trips out and about. There are activities holidays enabling blind people to be adventurous in tasting various sports such as horse riding, climbing, abseiling, swimming, boating and bowling. There are seasonal houseparties celebrating Easter and Christmas. There are special interest holidays focusing on gardening, computers, music, books, crafts and cookery. There are even two weekend breaks for people new to the sight loss journey.

TORCH HOLIDAYS is also hosting a handful of holidays in other places, such as the Lake District, Wales, France and Belgium.

What’s special about a Torch Holiday? Guests who return to us year after year say that it’s the warm welcome of Torch Holiday & Retreat Centre as a real ‘home from home’; and the understanding and acceptance in a place where, as one guest said, ‘it’s normal to be blind’. Another special feature of a Torch Holiday is the holistic care on offer. With its strong Christian ethos, there’s a daily opportunity for guests to take time to think about their spiritual wellbeing and welfare as well as being refreshed physically and mentally. The centre welcomes blind and partially sighted people of all faiths and none; it’s a place of peace, prayer, personal retreat and renewal.

If you would like the new brochure (shortly available in standard print, giant print, braille or audio) giving details of all the 2011 holidays, telephone 01858 438260 or email info@torchtrust.org

Announcing the first giant print daily Bible reading notes

Torch already produces several Bible reading notes in braille and audio, among them Every Day with Jesus and Daily Bread – but they will be joined by The Upper Room in giant print.

‘We realised there was a gap in our provision for people, particularly those at the start of the sight loss journey,’ said Publications Leader Lydia Tebbutt.

‘Reading is such a highly valued activity and losing it can be a hard blow. So we wanted to meet the needs of people who can continue to read devotional daily notes in giant print.’

‘We piloted half a dozen different Bible reading notes with giant print readers and this came out as the most popular,’ said Lydia.

The Upper Room is produced in the US but each day’s contribution is from a different person from around the world. The UK print edition is published by Bible Reading Fellowship.

The giant print version will be available from 1 January. As with all their Bible reading notes, Torch do not charge a subscription, but recommends a donation towards costs. For The Upper Room this is £18.50 a year.

If you are interested in receiving The Upper Room quarterly, call 01858 438260 or email info@torchtrust.org.

Gordon in Malawi

Torch CEO Dr Gordon Temple is having an amazing, uncomfortable, overwhelming, humbling and exceedingly hot trip to Malawi!

He is there to visit some of the thousands of blind people supported by Torch ministries and to see for himself the production centre where scriptures are produced in accessible formats for people with sight loss in several African countries.

In his daily blog Dr Temple tries to capture the vivid experiences he is having as he tours part of the Lower Shire region of the country along with Janet Stafford, Torch International Leader.

Describing the scenery, he talks of ‘colourfully-dressed pedestrians ... tiny shops and stalls selling a bizarre array of stuff ... one stall with not much more than two inverted cones of tomatoes ... hand-painted billboards ... homes made from home-made bricks, tin roofs and slender tree trunks ... crossing the Shire River with its ribbon of blues and vivid greens across the arid landscape of ochre and dull greens, with mountains beyond.’

Dr Temple has been overwhelmed by the warmth of the meetings with blind people that have been convened to hear him speak in sweltering conditions. He is being entertained royally, being served goat meat stew in enamel bowls as he sits on bamboo mats. But he is aware of the underlying poverty heightened by poor harvests caused by drought. And daily life is made a struggle by bureaucratic red tape, national shortages of fuel, water, electricity and the lack of decent transport systems.

‘In Rivi-Rivi, an agricultural community, the arrival of the Land Rover triggers a round of singing and dancing in welcome. Each of the three Torch Fellowship Groups has planned their own programme. Communal, choir, groups and solo singing were part of the mix, which also ran to a poem and some drama. This was amazing! All the actors were women, around half were blind and they played out scenes related to the issue of blindness in the home and family and in church life. It pulled no punches. It dealt with marital breakdown, the role of the church in healing and counselling. It was compellingly graphic with actual husband-wife-new partner fights!

‘The warm smiles, the mellow singing, the big-eyed little children, the appreciation of the blind people, the comments about how Torch helps them and the significance to them of the braille Bible volumes, the evidence of planning, organisation and leadership of the Groups, the worship ... there is so much to celebrate. But just under the surface lie the issues of simple survival...’

He concludes that his experiences are ‘blessing me no end ... but leave me on the edge of tears.’

A fresh focus for the next five years

People starting out on the journey of sight loss are to be a new and added focus of Torch ministry, it was announced at the organisation’s annual Thanksgiving.

Setting out the strategy for the next five years, CEO Dr Gordon Temple said that as he and the trustees had sought God ‘to find what adventure he has planned,’ they had been ‘drawn’ to become companions to those who receive the devastating news of sight loss.

‘Only one in five of them have someone with them when they hear the news that no medical intervention can prevent them from going blind,’ said Dr Temple. ‘And only one in 12 are ever offered any sort of counselling.’

Torch started out by serving those who had been blind all their lives. Over the years, much of Torch ministry has grown to meet the needs of the huge group of people who have lost their sight in later life, he said. But those starting out on the sight loss journey ‘need someone to be there for them.’

‘We want to serve them in the name of Christ, to be companions on that journey: a regional work of national scope but with local delivery.’

Reflecting on the previous 12 months, Dr Temple recalled how 2009 – Torch’s fiftieth anniversary - had closed with ‘a sense of anticipation’ despite the challenging economic climate of the country.

‘We called 2010 our year of promise,’ he said. ‘We saw God’s blessing through all the difficult times and the stresses and strains. We had anticipated a big deficit but in the closing weeks of the financial year amazing things happened, so that we finished with a modest surplus, for which we give thanks to God.’

Setting out what he called the Torch ‘charter,’ Dr Temple said that the aim would be that every blind and partially sighted person might be enabled to:

Around 180 people attended the Thanksgiving at Brighton Road Baptist Church, Horsham in West Sussex, including members of 17 Torch Fellowship groups from as far afield as Southport and Bristol.

UNVEILING THE VISION FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

Torch Trust CEO Dr Gordon Temple will unveil the new strategy for the next five years of the organisation’s ministry when he addresses the annual Torch Thanksgiving in Sussex this month.

Staff, volunteers and friends of the work will gather at Brighton Road Baptist Church, Horsham, from 2pm on Saturday 23 October to look back with thankfulness to God at the year past and forward with excitement to new opportunities to reach people with sight loss in the name of Jesus Christ.

The theme for the afternoon will be TOUCHED BY GOD, using the well-known Bible passage from Matthew 9 of the sick woman who was healed simply by touching in faith the hem of Jesus’ cloak. The Torch Singers will be taking part, and there will be opportunities to hear about all aspects of the Torch ministry – literature, regional work, holidays and international.

The programme will also include a presentation to Liz Gould for many years of service as the Bristol Area Fieldworker. Some new faces will receive an official welcome: new Torch trustee Roger Morriss and Catriona Cumming, who has recently joined the staff as Volunteer Coordinator. And chair of trustees, blind gospel singer and songwriter Marilyn Baker will also take part.

All are warmly invited. Groups of supporters will be arriving by coach. The church will be open from 12 noon for anyone wanting to eat their packed lunches there along with the Torch staff team. Drinks will be provided. The afternoon will be concluded with tea and cakes. It will be helpful for catering if you let us know if you plan to come early or stay on, by contacting Carol Nokes or Janet Allen on 01858 438260.

Travel directions

Horsham is just off the A24 which runs between the M25 to the north and Worthing to the south. The Baptist church is on the Brighton Road (A281) coming out of Horsham to the south east.

From the north: take the M23 from the M25. At junction 11, take the A264 towards Horsham. After about four miles take the B2195 left towards Horsham. After about two and a half miles take the second exit at the roundabout, almost immediately taking the B2180 left. This road starts as Station Road and becomes Clarence Road. Continue about half a mile to the A281 T-junction. Turn right and take the fourth right into New Street, where the church and car park are on your right.

From the south: approach Horsham on the A24. About one mile south of Horsham, take a right fork onto the B2237 (Worthing Road). Follow it around Horsham until it becomes the A281 and you are south east of the town. This road becomes in turn East Street, Queen Street and then Brighton Road. Just after the Queen’s Head pub, take the fourth turning on the left into New Street. The church and car park are on your right.

Pianist Peter Jackson talks of close ties with Torch

Blind pianist Peter Jackson will be interviewed on Torch’s radio programme Insight on Sunday 3 October.

Peter is a long-standing friend of Torch Trust, having served on the staff in his earlier days. In fact, it was his understanding of the social needs of people with sight loss that led to the setting up of Torch Fellowship Groups around the country, with the very first one being established in Peter’s home town of Birmingham.

In the programme Peter describes some of the challenges of his childhood after he became blind due to measles when he was a toddler. Although he feels that being separated from his family at a young age had a detrimental effect on family relationships, it was at blind school that he first fell in love with the piano and was given lessons, and at blind school that he had a Christian teacher who was a great influence on him.

Peter’s early ambition was to be a pianist in a dance band, but when he became a Christian his aspirations changed. He won chorus writing competitions run by Youth for Christ in the Midlands and began to make a name for himself.

Peter’s association with Torch Trust goes back to him reading The Torch magazine as a child. Then in the mid 1960s he was in contact with Torch co-founders Ron and Stella Heath. He was drawn to get involved with Torch house parties. He says he was ‘overawed’ by what the Heaths were doing for blind people. But he began to feel that there was a missing dimension – the social one – and he had a vision to get fellowship groups going around the country. He spent five years on the staff launching TFGs.

Peter still continues to play the piano, often performing for blind clubs, care homes or in churches. For more information, Peter’s own website is www.keynote-ministries.com And to find out if there’s a a Torch Fellowship Group meeting in your area, click on Torch Fellowship Groups on the left hand panel of the Torch home page.

The interview with Peter is broadcast at 4pm on Sunday 3 October on Premier Christian Radio, available everywhere on DAB and on the internet. It will also be available after broadcasting as a download from the Torch website; click on Downloads and scroll down to the listing of radio programmes.

TORCH AT TALKING NEWS FEDERATION NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Torch Trust will be represented at this weekend’s Talking News Federation National Conference in Peterborough.

The Federation represents around 400 of the country’s talking newspapers across the UK – mainly run by volunteers. They record local news and information into audio format for blind and partially sight people.

Lydia Tebbutt, Torch’s Publications Leader, will be looking to learn more about the way organisations working with people with sight loss are making the transition from audio cassette to digital recordings.

‘The TNF was one of the first organisations to phase out cassettes and move to using USB or data sticks,’ said Lydia.

‘This really is a good, cost-effective change, since the USB boom box – the most popular digital playback system on the market - is available for around £30 on the high street.

‘We will be attending the conference not only to demonstrate our partnership with TNF in the Reading Through Audio group, but also to learn firsthand from other people’s experiences of moving into digital communication.’

The conference programme will include a number of personalities from the world of sight loss, including the BBC presenter Peter White and John Godber of the RNIB.

Focus on safety out and about for blind people

Two upcoming radio programmes from Torch Trust will focus on issues of safe travel for people with sight loss.

Lots of town centres are introducing shared surface streets, where kerbs and controlled crossing points are being taken out. The idea is that it looks more attractive and it’s become a fashionable way to rejuvenate a town centre. Pedestrians and vehicles share the same space. But this design often doesn’t work for the most vulnerable in society - children, the elderly, people with learning difficulties, or those with sight loss. This kind of design can create real hazards.

Safe Travelling is the title of the Insight programme to be broadcast on Sunday 5 September. The programme, presented by Torch chair of trustees, well-known gospel singer-songwriter Marilyn Baker, includes an interview with David Cowdrey, Campaigns Manager from Guide Dogs, discussing the issues around shared surface streets.

In Out and About the following week, Sunday 12 September, interviewer Sarah Brookman goes out onto the streets with David Angell to explore the difficulties of getting around as a blind person. David was formerly on the staff of Torch Trust and his wife Sue currently works for Torch. David, a radio interviewer and producer, has been blind and a long white cane user for many years so says the actual logistics of following familiar routes don’t cause him any anxiety. But if he goes somewhere new, such as a train station, he tries to organise assistance ahead of time where possible. He will rehearse new routes he needs to follow. David prefers a cane to a guide dog; he says a cane gives you total independence when you have built up skill using it. The cane scans the pavement left and right in front of you, and walking gets into a rhythm. David finds people are generally very considerate of a cane user.

Sarah said that going out with David to make the programme made her very aware of how cluttered pavements can be, especially on bin collection day. She noticed that cafe signs and outside seating can also be problems for those with sight loss, as can delivery vans parked on the pavement.

Insight, produced by Torch Trust, is broadcast every Sunday at 4pm on Premier Christian Radio, available on DAB. If you can’t access DAB, then the programmes are available soon after broadcast dates on this Torch website: go to ‘downloads’ and scroll down to find the Insight audio downloads. Monthly CDs of the programmes are also available.

Making the volunteering experience positive

Catriona Cumming (27), who has joined the staff of Torch Trust as their Volunteer Coordinator, has a passion for making the volunteering experience a good one.

‘I see myself as a facilitator and enabler, helping the people who work at Torch – volunteers and staff – to do the work they enjoy doing as easily as possible.’

Catriona’s first task is to get to know around 25 volunteers who regularly help out in the various ministries at Torch House, and in time to contact the others who work from their homes around the UK.

Her home town is Market Harborough in Leicestershire, where Torch is based, so she’s no stranger to the organisation. She was a student at York University, where she did a BA in Politics and a Masters in Public Policy and Administration.

‘I’ve been exploring a call to ordination,’ Catriona says. ‘If that happens, it will be in the future, so for now I’m concentrating on God’s call for me within Torch.’

Catriona was brought up as a Christian. She says her commitment ‘hasn’t been about one amazing revelatory moment, but more about God’s gentle work in my life over time.’ A member of the town’s St Dionysius Church, she sings classical music with the Leicester Philharmonic Orchestra and enjoys reading, cooking for friends, jogging and cycling.

If you can spare a few hours on a regular basis, Torch has some interesting volunteering opportunities in a number of areas of the work – mainly at Torch House in Market Harborough, Leicestershire. If you think you could help with despatch in the mail room, with administration in the office, with audio work in the recording studio, or even with gardening or maintenance, Catriona would be delighted to hear from you. Call 01858 438267 or email volunteers@torchtrust.org

FROM MARKET HARBOROUGH WITH LOVE

Packing a container to take advantage of every square inch of space is something of an art – but every item in this one could make a real difference to someone’s life!

A forty-foot container has just left Torch House in Leicestershire bound for Malawi. It’s laden with a huge variety of items that will improve the daily life of people with sight loss there – soaps, toiletries, towels, lightweight clothing, braille materials, a braille embosser, second hand white canes and basic medical supplies. Also on board are tables and chairs which will be used to renovate a centre for blind children.

Torch International Leader, Janet Stafford, will be in Malawi to supervise the unloading of the container at the start of a three month stay in the country.

Janet says that the situation for many people in Malawi is desperate because of several years of drought and famine. People have little to eat; there isn’t even enough grass this year to roof their huts. Blind people are particularly affected and because of their vulnerability are frequently victims of robbery of even the little that they have. She expects to travel widely, especially in the rural areas, giving support and aid as well as encouraging and teaching Christians.

Torch sends a container of aid once or twice a year to Malawi. In the capital Blantyre, Torch supports a braille production centre, supplying scriptures in a range of African languages. Torch has also placed libraries of Christian books in several countries, particularly in Africa.

One of Janet’s goals is to be able to produce more Christian books at the Blantyre centre. She has already been asked for Christian braille libraries by six other countries.

CONFERENCE TO ENGAGE CHURCHES WITH DISABLED PEOPLE

With around one fifth of the UK population experiencing some recognisable level of disability, churches are keen to make their activities inclusive – but few have a clear understanding of how to achieve that ambition.

ENABLING CHURCH, a major one-day conference being held in October, will inspire and challenge church communities to engage with disabled people wholeheartedly within the life of the church.

Torch Trust, as part of Churches for All, will be involved in resourcing this key event.

‘In our churches we realise that our old ways of thinking about disability are no longer appropriate – but the challenge is to articulate a new understanding,’ said Dr Gordon Temple, Torch CEO.

‘The church that fails to include disabled people is itself disabled. We believe ENABLING CHURCH will be a significant event in equipping church communities to make real progress in reaching out to disabled people and using their gifting for the Kingdom of God. Through it we aim to take a fresh look at a biblical view of disability and start a conversation about an appropriate Christian response.’

The conference has attracted a number of influential Christian speakers for the programme of talks and seminars. Among them are Malcolm Duncan, who serves on a number of mission groups and regularly advises government on community renewal; international preacher and Bible expositor Jonathan Lamb; the Bishop of Exeter Michael Langrish; and Roy McCloughry, author on contemporary social issues and lecturer in ethics. Christian leaders of organisations representing people across the spectrum of disability including hearing loss, sight loss and learning disabilities will be present and leading seminars. There will also be a video message from arguably the most famous disabled person in the world, the American paraplegic writer and broadcaster Joni Eareckson.

ENABLING CHURCH: DISABILITY, WHOLENESS AND CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY takes place on Thursday October 7 at the Friends Meeting House, Euston Road, Central London, from 9am. The day costs £25. A person accompanying a disabled person specifically to support their participation in the conference may book a free place. The whole conference will be signed in BSL. For full details and to book go to www.premier.org.uk/events/premierevents/Enabling Church.aspx or call 0207 316 1313. Brochures with booking infomation are available in braille, large print and audio CD on request. To download a brochure select your preference: Enabling Church brochure PDF or Enabling Church brochure text

TORCH AT SIGHT VILLAGE

Torch Trust will be exhibiting again at Sight Village in Birmingham – the event described as ‘the premier exhibition for blind and partially sighted people in the UK’ and ‘the country’s leading expo of access tech solutions’.

‘Sight Village brings together under one roof all sorts of technologies and services for blind and partially sighted people, allowing you the rare opportunity to compare one with another,’ says Sheila Armstrong of Torch’s text transcription department.

‘For example, you can see synthesised speech readers, reading machines and magnifiers. I don’t plan to buy anything this year but it’s just good to see what’s new and to keep up to date with what’s available. I usually go to one or two relevant seminars.’

Torch Literature Leader Lydia Tebbutt described Sight Village as ‘a great opportunity to meet three main audiences.’

‘There are professionals working in the field of sight loss who need to know what we can offer their contacts, the newly blind who want to know about the many resources we offer, and also our Torch friends – people who know us and want to hear the latest news about what we’re doing,’ she said.

New this year on the Torch stand will be the first-ever DAISY catalogue, available in DAISY and print – a listing of around 450 titles now available in this format. Recent additions to Torch DAISY books include classic Christian titles such as David Wilkerson’s ‘The Cross and The Switchblade’ and Jackie Pullinger’s ‘Chasing the Dragon’ through to newer bestsellers such as ‘Planetwise’ by Dave Bookless and Jonathan Lamb’s ‘Integrity’.

Admission to Sight Village is free. The venue is the New Bingley Hall in Birmingham and you can find the Torch stand in the Reading Room. The exhibition is open from 10am to 4.30pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, July 13-15. For more information: qac.sight village Guide dogs will be provided with water and a spending facility. Sighted guides will be available to accompany blind visitors.

Make yourselves at home!

Torch House, the purpose-built home of Torch Trust which is surrounded by some lovely Leicestershire countryside and sits on the edge of the charming town of Market Harborough, is throwing wide its doors for an Open Evening on Thursday July 8.

‘Come and see for yourself how the work of Torch is enabling blind and partially sighted people in the UK and around the world to realise their full potential, especially within the church community,’ says assistant CEO Andrew Nicholson.

‘You will be able to see something of every aspect of Torch work and talk to the staff who make it all happen. And if you are looking to serve the Lord in ministry to people with sight loss, we can help you identify volunteer opportunities to match your skills and availability.’

All departments of the work – from the amazing braille and giant print library and the braille production unit to the audio recording studios and displays about our UK regional and international work – will be available to tour. There will be some interactive displays and workshops and plenty of opportunity to ask questions. All ages are welcome, so it will be a real family occasion.

The Open Evening runs from 6 to 9pm but feel free to arrive when you can. A barbecue supper will be served between 6 and 8pm. There is no charge but it would be helpful to know if you are coming so that we can cater without waste.

To book your place for you and your family or church group, call 01858 438206 or email info@torchtrust.org

A real high flyer!

Miles Hilton-Barber, who started to lose his sight in his twenties, has become a record-breaking adventurer on a grand scale. The blind 61-year-old, who was born in Zimbabwe and now lives in Derby in the UK Midlands, has flown solo from London to Sydney, driven the Malaysian Grand Prix, completed numerous desert marathons, hauled a sledge to the South Pole and climbed many mountains.

Says Miles: ‘The only barrier to achieving your dreams is not your disability but your attitude to your disability! The only limits in our lives are those we accept ourselves.’ Small wonder, then, that Miles is a motivational speaker of international repute, travelling to address corporate conferences around the globe.

Miles was recently interviewed by Torch Trust and his story features in two radio programmes to be broadcast on Premier Christian Radio (DAB) at 4pm on Sunday June 27 and Sunday July 18.

Miles’ father was the director of civil aviation in Zimbabwe and so the young Miles was fascinated by planes. His desire was to be a pilot. But starting to lose his sight around the age of 21 through retinitis pigmentosa put paid to that ambition. At first Miles was in denial of his condition. He had become a Christian in his late teens and he thought God might heal him. But God showed him that more would be achieved for the kingdom if he could live a happy and fulfilled life as a blind man.

At the age of 50, Miles was inspired by the solo sailing achievements of his brother, who had also become blind through the same inherited condition. Miles realised that his own problem was not his blindness but his attitude to his blindness. His brother challenged him to realise his ambition to fly. Using speech output technology, Miles did learn to fly, using a microlight, flying from London to Sydney. Since then he’s flown lots of other kinds of aircraft, some of them supersonic. He’s also set an impressive number of sporting records for extreme sports such as scuba diving, mountaineering and desert marathons.

When asked about which of his adventures means the most to him, Miles says that flying to Australia was very special because of his childhood dream to be a pilot. He particularly recalls flying over Lebanon in a terrible snowstorm, being thrown around in the sky like a ‘demented leaf’. Even though it was quite frightening, he was touched to be flying over places of significance in the Holy Land and felt keenly aware that God was close to him. This storm was only one of a number of tight corners he got into.

Blind walkers launch festival

In a first-time venture, blind and partially sighted people from local Torch Fellowship Groups launched the 6^th Gower Walking Festival by walking along the beautiful Swansea Bay coast earlier this month.

The walk was organised by Torch regional coordinator Verena Walder, and followed on immediately after the official opening of the Festival by Welsh Assembly member Mrs Edwina Hart.

‘The day was just for fun and we took the walk in a very leisurely way because several members had other disabilities,’ reports Verena, who is partially sighted and will be 60 in November.

‘But it was a great success. Twenty-seven blind and partially sighted people took part, along with friends and families. Two children of six and nine did the walk, there was one baby in arms and there were people in their late 70s. A number of people we met along the way joined in with us.’

Verena says the Torch walkers are planning to take part in the Festival again next year, perhaps walking a different stretch of coast.

‘Through the walk we made a number of new contacts, such as the Swansea Bowls for the Blind Association, who saw that we were taking part and came along to chat to us.’

The Swansea TFG is a thriving group of about 60 members with a strong committee, says Verena. There are four other TFGs in South Wales - based at Bridgend, Ammanford, Pontypridd and Llanelli – which between them have a further 120 members. And a prayer group of 12 to 15 people has begun in Barry, in advance of the formation of a new group there.

Verena moved to the Mumbles area over four years ago from Bromley in Kent, and for the past two years has been the hugely enthusiastic regional coordinator of Torch work.

‘I’ve been a Christian since 1967 and a Torch Library borrower of Giant Print books since 1974.

‘Since moving here and having some revolutionary lens exchange treatment for my rather specialist cornea disease, the vision I have has been maximised and so I felt I could take the Torch work on.’

Verena is a reader in the Anglican Church and she finds this gives her many opportunities for speaking engagements about Torch across a number of denominations.

Hidden Treasures!

Actually, any Sunday will do. But this Sunday, June 6, is the official date of Disability Sunday 2010.

David Coffey, President of the Baptist World Alliance, has said, ‘The life of a local church is enriched when it takes positive steps to encourage the gifted contributions of disabled people. I encourage you to release the hidden treasures in your congregation.’

From a recent survey carried out by the Premier Media Group and ComRes, 66 per cent of churches said they needed ideas for how to include disabled people in church activities. Perhaps your church is in this significant majority?

If you need ideas for holding a creative and inclusive service this Sunday – or any time of the year – here are a couple of places to go:

· Churches for All, of which Torch Trust is a member, is offering a free pack, Finding Hidden Treasure, at www.churchesforall.org.uk

· Torch Trust has a special website www.torchfoursight.org where you can register for a free pack of materials – from worship and sermon ideas to an outline for a children’s talk, from a poster to a draft press release and advice on other kinds of publicity. Also available is a five-minute DVD of interviews with people with sight loss which powerfully demonstrates the difficulties they face in churchgoing.

NEW AWARD FOR ACCESSIBLE PUBLISHING

Championing the publishing of books in accessible formats is one of the key aims of Torch Trust. Our own lending library contains over three and a half thousand Christian titles in braille, giant print and audio formats – but we know that so much more could be done. With 1.8 million people in Britain living with sight loss, many people are denied access to much of the wealth of Christian publishing. With that in mind, we presented the first ever Christian Resources Award for the Best Accessible Product 2010 at the annual Christian Resources Exhibition held this month in Esher, Surrey. Fifteen awards were presented across the range of print publishing, audio and video for adults and children – but this was the first time that an award was given for an accessible format title. We made the award to Cambridge University Press for their large print King James Version Bible, a hardback in good, clear large type which is still comfortable to hold. We wanted to celebrate the efforts made by Cambridge to include people with sight loss. We hope that making this award an annual event will encourage publishers to think more about accessible versions of their products for this often overlooked audience.

PHOTO: The award presented by Gordon Temple is received by a member of the Lion Hudson team on behalf of Cambridge University Press at the Christian Resources Awards. Photo taken by Dave Lock of Manna Christian Centre, Streatham.

DISABILITY SUNDAY - FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU AND YOUR CHURCH

Did you know that this year Disability Sunday has been moved from October to June 6?

Of course, you can choose to mark this day at any point in your church calendar that makes sense for you. But, whatever day you decide on, Torch Trust has produced a pack of materials to help you plan for it. We want to support you as you put on a creative and inclusive service that draws attention to the needs of people with disability and the mutual benefits of involving them more in church life.

In the pack you’ll find worship and sermon ideas as well as an outline for a children’s talk. There’s even a poster and advice on local publicity, including a draft press release for your local newspaper. You can also request a five-minute DVD of interviews with people with sight loss which powerfully demonstrates the difficulties they face in the church context. This DVD is included with our Foursight for the Church pack to anyone who registers for it. For a preview of this DVD, go to YouTube and search with ‘Torch Trust blind people in church’.

All these materials are available on the special Torch website (www.torchfoursight.org). You will need to register to be sent the free pack. If you have already registered, simply use the email address you registered with as your password.

Torch in the Zone at biggest ever CRE

Once again, Torch will be exhibiting at the massive Christian Resources exhibition at Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher, Surrey from Tuesday 11^th to Friday 14^th May. We have a number of complimentary tickets available – just let us know at Torch House (contact us) and we’ll put one (or more) in the post to you. The only ‘catch’ is that we’d love you to come and see us on the Torch Stand in the Surrey Hall. This year is the biggest yet in the 25 year+ history of CRE – over 400 exhibitors plus more than 100 practical workshops. When you receive the ticket you can then ‘register’ online if you wish to fast track your entry to the event when you arrive. Last year Torch celebrated its 50^th anniversary. This year we are part of a new feature at CRE – the ‘Churches for All’ zone. Churches for All is a partnership of UK Christian disability organisations and the zone will include interactive activities, seminars and workshops, as well as the stands of the partner organisations. If you have not been to CRE before, the venue is within the M25 and you can park for free at the racecourse (postcode KT10 9AJ). Alternatively trains to Esher station run from London Waterloo and Clapham Junction approximately every 20 minutes and the journey time is 25 minutes. Esher station is approximately 10 minutes flat walk from the main entrance (or there is usually a free CRE courtesy bus). Full details at www.creonline.co.uk

2010 - Torch Year of Promise

2010 – Torch’s year of promise!

A New Year message from CEO Dr Gordon Temple

If the needs are greater, so are the opportunities!

Never have we known such an appetite for what Torch does among blind and partially sighted people and among the organisations that serve and support them – with growing interest in our Fellowship Groups, our specialist holidays and, of course, our Christian literature in a range of formats. We are welcomed at exhibitions, events and conferences run by ‘blindness’ organisations of all kinds. We are encouraged by the UK Vision Strategy published by Vision 2020 and the RNIB in 2009, particularly in that it identifies the emotional support needs of people experiencing sight loss – an issue which Torch has long recognised and to which we respond through several aspects of our work.

2010 to be Torch’s Year of Promise!

We enter the New Year with a sense of expectation – despite the financial challenges of the present time, to which Torch is not immune. Looking back over the past 50 years we have seen God’s faithfulness and we are encouraged in our faith as we grasp the opportunities before us. The seeds of good things are evident in every area of our work:

In Luke 14 we read Jesus’ story of a great celebration. Invitations went out to those who expected to be invited but their response was indifference. With the banquet ready but an absence of guests, the host sends his servants out onto the streets to those who would never expect a party invitation – blind people among them – to invite them personally. Torch has a global vision for its work – but it’s realised in a myriad of personal encounters. So much now depends on each of us – the Master’s servants – to bring the personal touch. A Happy New Year to all our friends and supporters! Please pray with us that 2010 will be for Torch a Year of Promise fulfilled!

CHRISTIAN PERSONALITIES CONTRIBUTE TO CHARITY

A dozen leading Christians have contributed comments on their favourite Bible verses to a devotional book of 50 Bible readings just published to mark the 50th anniversary of Torch Trust.

Richard Atkinson, Marilyn Baker, Richard Bewes, Steve Brady, David Coffey, Mike Endicott, Michele Guinness, Peter Jackson, Jonathan Lamb, Jennifer Rees Larcombe, Jeff Lucas, Roy Searle and Derek Tidball are among those who have written for 50 STEPS FORWARD. Alongside them are writers drawn from Torch staff and volunteers, from those who use Torch services and from those who enable Torch work to happen around the world. Almost half the contributors are blind or partially sighted.

‘Since prayer and God’s Word are foundational to the work of Torch Trust, this book of short Bible readings, comments, praise and prayers is a really appropriate way to mark our golden jubilee year,’ said Torch CEO Gordon Temple.

‘As well as marking the historical milestone, the book is an invitation to everyone to join us on a 50-day journey of prayer which we believe will be a personal blessing to readers as well as to Torch Trust,’ he added.

50 STEPS FORWARD, a 128-page paperback, was published simultaneously in print, giant print, braille and audio formats. It’s available from Torch Trust at £5 a copy (plus postage where applicable) by calling 01858 438260 or emailing info@torchtrust.org

'Fantastic and memorable weekend!'

Well over 400 people attended the thanksgiving service at the Harborough Leisure Centre on Saturday 28 November. Representatives came from local churches; groups of blind people came from all over the UK and from several European countries. The music for the afternoon was led by Torch chair of trustees Marilyn Baker and the Torch Singers. Presentations were made by the four leaders of the different aspects of Torch work – Janet Stafford for the international ministry, David Palmer for the regional fellowship groups; Gail Millar for the holidays for blind people; and Lydia Tebbutt for the literature work, the transcribing of Bibles and Christian literatures into braille, giant print and audio formats. Gordon Temple presented Torch ambitions for the future – that no blind or partially sighted person should be denied the opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel message, to grow in their faith, or to become a fully valued member of a local church community. Tributes were also paid to the co-founder of Torch, Stella Heath, who died recently.

Before and after the service, Torch House was open and hundreds of people visited to see the displays and buy materials for those with sight loss. About 90 people stayed at nearby Hothorpe Hall for a full weekend programme of anniversary events.

‘There was a great sense of reunion throughout the whole weekend,’ said Gordon Temple. ‘People who had been associated with Torch throughout its half century came together to reinvigorate old friendships and make new ones.’

COME AND CELEBRATE WITH US!

THANKSGIVING WEEKEND - 27-29 November 2009

Our year of golden jubilee will come to a fitting climax in a thanksgiving weekend at Hothorpe Hall, a Christian conference centre not many miles from Torch House in Leicestershire.

Gordon Temple, Torch CEO, looks back on the 50 years of Torch Trust and on this year of celebration:

Looking back, looking forward

Torch is also very active internationally, fostering partnerships to reach out to blind and partially sighted people around the globe. There are around 80 fellowship groups to support people with sight loss in Malawi and others in surrounding countries, and Torch’s braille production centre in Malawi has been turning out African language scripture portions for nearly 10 years. It’s particularly good to extend a warm welcome to some of our overseas friends who are with us this weekend.So there is much to thank God for. Indeed, we have spent this whole year celebrating what, through his grace, has been achieved. To mark the golden jubilee of Torch we have organised or been present at a significant number of special events this year:

· We celebrated the bicentenary of the birth of the extraordinary Louis Braille with a unique and moving non-denominational service of thanksgiving at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square, London.

· We have raised awareness of the world of blind and partially sighted people with some highly original interactive displays and seminars for thousands of Christians who attended Spring Harvest at Skegness and Minehead at Eastertime, the Christian Resources Exhibition in May and at other events through the year.

· We launched the new DAISY complete Bible – the most accessible audio Bible ever for blind and partially sighted people.

· We held a Day of Prayer at Torch House and at Torch Holiday & Retreat Centre on 8 June, the actual anniversary date of the birth of the Torch Trust and planted trees at both centres to mark the occasion.

The joy that we experience in looking back gives us great confidence in looking forward. We know that the same God who has provided for Torch in dedicated staff and volunteers and in funding for our work will continue to bless and equip for all he plans for us to do.

Though much has been achieved there is much more to be done. Though we serve thousands of people with sight loss there are many thousands more who know nothing of what is available to them through Torch – people who need the touch of Jesus on their lives. And too often Christians who lose their sight go for years before they discover Torch and the resources that can support a fulfilling Christian life of worship and service. There are too many places without a Torch Fellowship Group, too many books never published in accessible formats, too many living lonely lives who could be blessed by a Torch Holiday, and too many places across the world where blind and partially sighted people are without Scriptures and trapped in poverty.

Pray for us as we seek God’s direction and the resources to respond ever more effectively to the needs before us.

STELLA HEATH -

The loss has been announced of ‘a very down-to-earth visionary’ who left behind a lasting legacy which has touched the lives of thousands of people with sight loss in the UK and around the world.

Stella Heath died on September 29, aged 89, in the fiftieth anniversary year of the Christian charity of which she was a key founder – Torch Trust for the Blind.

Stella, together with her husband Ron who died 10 years ago, opened their Surrey home in the 1950s to young blind people from a nearby training centre. When one young woman responded to their Friday night gospel epilogues by deciding to follow Christ, Stella and Ron became concerned by the lack of Christian reading material for those with sight loss. They learned braille and recruited volunteers to make braille and giant print books, and later audio recordings. In the words of Dr Gordon Temple, current CEO of Torch Trust, ‘their God-given vocation began to crystallise.’ Their call came from the challenge of Jesus to the disciples before the feeding of the five thousand: ‘You give them something to eat.’

‘Some fifty years later, not five thousand but tens of thousands of blind people have been impacted for good,’ said Gordon Temple.

‘Over that time, I have never known Stella’s passion dulled or commitment waver, even in the aftermath of a stroke in 2006.’

Stella was a homemaker. The work with blind people took over her home and when it was outgrown she searched not for an office but for a larger home, and then one larger still. The family ethos of Torch has remained and is still nurtured.

Gordon Temple describes the Torch work from the time he first encountered it as ‘living witness to vibrant and authentic Christianity.’

‘Here was faith at work. It was a daily adventure in trusting God, praying and expecting answers - at the same time demanding and joyful.

‘Into the Heaths’ homes came many fragile and broken lives, young and old, often lonely, with the self-esteem crushed out of them, many of them blind and partially sighted. Each was made to feel significant. Stella was always able to capture the imagination of others and engage them in the work she found so compelling and indescribably worthwhile. Her homely straightforwardness belied her underlying strength as a great leader. And she opened the door to salvation in Christ for many, many people.

‘Stella’s focus was always on the individual. A blind person in need – whether those needs were practical or spiritual – was always her chief concern. Torch was built on a myriad of personal encounters.

‘Stella was a very down-to-earth visionary. She and Ron, with whom she had an extraordinary partnership, never worked at long term plans – not even an annual budget for Torch. They tackled each day as it came, eagerly seeking the clues to God’s leading for them and the work.’

From such humble origins, Torch today operates a large Christian lending library for those with sight loss from its Market Harborough headquarters, transcribing up to 200 Christian titles a year into accessible media. It sends out magazines to blind people in 100 countries, supports 120 fellowship groups and runs over 20 specialist holidays and houseparties a year. Forty years ago, Stella Heath launched the Torch work in Africa, where now there’s a production centre in Malawi transcribing braille and giant print scriptures and eighty fellowship groups giving a variety of support to blind people in several African countries. This international ministry remained close to Stella’s heart throughout her life.

A service of thanksgiving for Stella Heath’s life was held on October 16 at St Mary’s Church, Pulborough in West Sussex.

Just published is 50 STEPS FORWARD, a 128-page book of Bible readings, comments and prayers from 50 contributors – including Stella Heath and a number of well-known Christian names – produced to celebrate Torch’s fiftieth anniversary. It’s available from Torch Trust at £5 plus postage. www.torchtrust.org

Torch on national DAB radio

Premier Christian Radio has launched its national DAB radio service and so Torch's Insight programme goes national. Tune in at 4pm each Sunday afternoon to hear a welcome from Marilyn Baker and to listen to interviews, testimonies and more - all with a disability dimension.

Torch Foursight Video

Torch has produced a video for use in churches to bring home the challenges that blind and partially sighted people often experience in church life - and to introduce Torch's Foursight for the Church initiative that offers churches helpful guidance and resources. Why not request a copy of the DVD to show to your church or group - and register at www.torch-foursight.org to get a copy of the Foursight church pack. The video can be previewed on YouTube.

The same book, at the same time, at the same price

Torch Trust is passionate about giving blind and partially sighted people access to the Christian literature they need to find faith, grow in their Christian lives, develop their gifts and participate fully in church life.

To find out about Torch's membership of The Right to Read Alliance which campaigns for these rights, go to the Right to Read in the Literature area of the website.

A Beautiful Mind

Torch celebrates 50 years

Torch Trust, a Christian organisation serving blind and partially sighted people, celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this month (June 2009).

The story began when Stella and Ron Heath opened their home to blind young men and women from a training school in Surrey. They were confronted with how difficult it was for blind people to be included in church life and to have access to the Bible and other Christian books. The Heaths learned braille and recruited volunteers to help them in the work of transcribing, later moving into making audio recordings. On June 8, 1959, they formally took over a magazine for blind people called The Torch and the formative trust behind it.

Under their pioneering and inspirational leadership, the work grew amazingly. Twenty years ago they expanded the work into Africa, setting up a braille production centre for African scriptures in Malawi. Today Torch Trust provides Christian literature for thousands of blind people and reaches into 100 countries. It also runs the largest Christian lending library in the UK for those with sight loss, with over 3,500 titles in a mix of braille, giant print and audio formats. Torch also supports over 120 fellowship groups for blind and partially sighted people around the UK, and puts on a programme of specialised holidays every year from its own holiday and retreat centre in Sussex.

A series of celebratory events throughout the year marks the 50^th anniversary. These began in March with a thanksgiving service for the bicentenary of the birth of Louis Braille at St Martin-in-the-Fields Church in London and continued at Eastertime with interactive display stands and workshops at Spring Harvest.

On the actual anniversary date of June 8, Torch staff, volunteers and supporters will gather for a Day of Prayer at Torch House in Market Harborough, Leicestershire.

Torch’s Chief Executive Dr Gordon Temple said, ‘The day will be one of thanksgiving to God for 50 years of growth and blessing – but it’s also about the future. There’s much to be done to fulfil Torch’s aims to reach more people with sight loss. In this country alone, 100 people every day learn that they are losing their sight.’

The organisation will continue its raised profile with presence at more Christian and secular conferences and events over the summer. And in November there will be an Anniversary Weekend.

Marilyn Baker, well known as a singer and songwriter and now Chair of Torch Trust said, ‘Torch has been so important to my own Christian journey. It’s not just the access to books and magazines in braille or audio formats, it’s about being accepted as a person and as a Christian. The love and pastoral help given to me by the Heaths, the Torch founders, gave me the confidence to embark on my own ministry. I want to see everyone with sight loss not only accepted within the Church but becoming truly part of it and enabled to lead a fulfilling Christian life.’

NEW - The most accessible Audio Bible ever for Blind People

From this month (June 2009) the complete Bible is available for blind people on DAISY CD – the most advanced and flexible audio format there is.

The new product revolutionises Bible reading and study for people with sight loss – making it possible for any single verse in the Bible to be accessed within seconds.

This mammoth project has been a truly collaborative effort. Torch Trust, a Christian charity serving blind and partially sighted people, has worked with the encouragement of publishers Hodder & Stoughton, together with assistance from Wycliffe Associates volunteers and production support from RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People).

The new Today’s New International Version of the Bible is contained on just four DAISY CDs in a single DVD case, totalling 75 hours of audio reading. DAISY – or Digital Accessible Information System – allows a very flexible approach to searching the text. On a standard cassette or CD, it’s just not possible to hunt down and isolate a particular Bible verse – but it’s very simple using the DAISY player.

Torch Trust’s Chief Executive Dr Gordon Temple said, ‘DAISY is the perfect medium for the Bible. The Bible is not the sort of book that is read from cover to cover. Occasionally we might read a whole book of the Bible, but usually we dip into it. We look up a verse or passage and read that, then another. But that can’t be done with the usual audio Bibles that can be purchased in bookshops.

‘That’s what makes the DAISY Bible so extraordinary. Now someone whose sight loss has denied them access to print but who cannot read braille can really read the Bible as a sighted person does – going directly to a passage or verse and finding a reference as quickly as a sighted person using a print Bible.’

As well as its easy search facility, the DAISY system allows the reader to add bookmarks and also retains a memory of the place last read even after the disc is removed. Another intriguing facility is that the recording can be speeded up or slowed down – without altering the pitch of the voice.

Exclusively for the use of blind and partially sighted people, the DAISY edition of the entire Bible is available from Torch Trust or RNIB at £15.99.

As well as the Bible, Torch Trust has transcribed over 250 Christian books from their lending library – the largest Christian library for blind people in the UK – into DAISY format, and about a dozen new titles are added to that every month.

Comment from a DAISY user:

About Torch Trust

Based in Market Harborough in Leicestershire, Torch Trust is a non-denominational Christian organisation supported by donations. The charity’s aim is to overcome sight loss as a barrier to finding a personal faith in Christ and living a fulfilled Christian life. Torch Trust produces Christian literature in braille, giant print and audio formats; and promotes Christian fellowship among blind and partially sighted people across the UK and around the world. (www.torchtrust.org or email info@torchtrust.org)

About RNIB

RNIB is the leading charity working in the UK offering practical support, advice and information for anyone with sight difficulties. If you, or someone you know, have a sight problem, RNIB can help. Call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 (or visit www.rnib.org.uk).

Torch's high profile presence at Christian events marks fiftieth anniversary

The Torch Trust stand, with its eye-catching ‘pods’ – freestanding booths offering a range of interactive experiences conveying the challenges of sight loss – proved a great attraction at Spring Harvest over Easter and at the Christian Resources Exhibition in May.

‘Being at Spring Harvest for our fiftieth anniversary year was a fantastic opportunity to promote Torch, meet supporters and make new friends,’ says Torch Chief Executive Dr Gordon Temple.

‘Up to 20,000 heard the Torch presentation in the Big Top meetings – not to mention hundreds more who viewed it on their chalet TVs. Many came to the stand to talk and look at our resources and over 600 attended our Come to your senses! workshops.’

At CRE in Esher, Surrey, the Torch stand also attracted a lot of interest, with many signing up for the Foursight for the Church pack which promotes ways in which the local church can become more accessible to blind and partially sighted people.

New audio Bible

Meanwhile, upstairs at the parallel CBC event (Christian Booksellers’ Convention), Torch was offering several new products, including the most accessible audio Bible ever for blind people. Although the DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) New Testament has been available since 2006, this was an opportunity to launch the new complete Bible.

The project – work done in partnership with RNIB (principal supplier of DAISY players), publisher Hodder & Stoughton and Wycliffe Associates - revolutionises Bible reading and study for people with sight loss. On a standard cassette or CD, it’s just not possible to hunt down and isolate a particular Bible verse – but the simple operation of four large buttons on the DAISY machine makes that level of selection a reality. The four DAISY CDs for the whole Bible run to 75 hours.

Exclusively for the use of blind and partially sighted people, the DAISY Bible is available from Torch Trust at £15.99. Also available is the Old Testament at £12.99 or the re-mastered New Testament at £4.99.

Day of Prayer

The actual 50^th anniversary date of Monday June 8 will be marked by a Day of Prayer at Torch House in Market Harborough, with others joining in from their homes, individually and in groups, around the country. If you want to join in, please request Gordon Temple’s prayer letter which includes a programme for the day.

OPENING EYES TO THE WORLD OF BLIND PEOPLE

Under the banner ‘Come to your senses’, the Torch Trust will be unveiling an innovative interactive experience at Spring Harvest this Easter to celebrate 50 years of Christian ministry with blind people.

‘Our exhibition is a really hands-on and novel way of giving people insights into engaging Spring Harvesters with the challenging experiences of blind people – both in their practical, everyday life and in their spiritual lives,’ says Torch Trust chief executive Dr Gordon Temple.

The exhibition, together with seminars, will encourage people to think in fresh ways about how they label people.

Abi (30), with a background in creative writing and education, has been working as a consultant to Torch Trust in preparing the exhibition and seminars.

‘An example of the challenges facing blind people is the issue of socialisation. Because they can’t see facial expression, don’t know when new people have come into a room or where they are standing, blind people will often exclude themselves from social situations for fear of getting things wrong,’ says Abi.

‘Such withdrawal means that the church, for example, is leaving the many amazing gifts of blind people untapped.

‘We want people to go away from the Torch Trust stand with a fresh approach to how they assess people – making sure they are defined by who they are rather than what they can or can’t do,’ says Abi.

‘And the multi-sensory worship seminar on the theme of Creation, will give them an exciting new experience of worship using all the senses.’

Torch Trust will also be giving a short Big Top presentation at Spring Harvest and launching several new titles in braille and giant print which will be available on the Wesley Owen bookstall.

Louis Braille Bicentenary

To celebrate the 200th anniversary of Louis Braille's birth a special church service is being held in St Martin in the Fields, London at 12 noon 21st March 2009 - please let us know if you would like to attend.

The order of service for the event is available here as a Word or Acrobat pdf file.

Radio Northampton Interview

On Sunday 1st February Martin Heath from Radio Northampton broadcast a series of interviews he made recently on a visit to Torch House.

Stars for a Day!

Members of Market Harborough Baptist Church in Leicestershire became extras when a film crew came to town on Sunday (January 25).

The church offered to be the venue for the filming of a short video which will be shown at Spring Harvest to launch the 50th anniversary of Torch Trust – the Christian ministry to blind and partially sighted which has its HQ in Market Harborough. Market Harborough Baptist minister Nick Cook – star of the big screen?

Market Harborough Baptist minister Nick Cook – star of the big screen?

The film crew sat in on the usual morning communion service led by Market Harborough’s pastor Nick Cook. Then the lights and cameras were set up and the congregation were invited to stay behind to re-create some key moments from the service, including some sermon snippets and singing.

Torch Trust CEO Gordon Temple explained that the purpose of the video was to show how difficult churchgoing can be for blind and partially sighted people.

Cameras ready – the Baptist ‘extras’ take their places.

‘They have a number of people with sight loss in the congregation and have thought carefully about how to be inclusive and make life easier for them. One of the church elders is blind, as are several people in the worship group. The fellowship understands how to make them welcome and provides large print bulletins and so on.

‘But many churches have never really considered the needs of blind and partially sighted people. Our campaign for churches, called Foursight, is aimed at educating and equipping churches to be accessible places for those with sight loss. And since 2009 is our fiftieth anniversary we are holding several celebratory events – not least of which is the video which we will be showing in the Big Top at Spring Harvest. Our stand and seminar programme at Spring Harvest will be very unusual – a sensory adventure that will give sighted people real understanding of the difficulties faced by blind people.’

Christmas Houseparty a great success

Over 70 people went on the Christmas Houseparty held for the first time at High Leigh, including 40 blind and partially sighted people, most of whom would otherwise have spent Christmas alone.

Running from 23rd to 27th December, the Christmas houseparty included a last minute shopping trip to nearby Hoddesdon on Christmas Eve, a turkey banquet on Christmas Day, and Boxing Day outing and evening dinner. Mike Townsend and Peter Jackson led times of fellowship and worship and everyone enjoyed the concert evening.

At first a few felt it was all too big and busy but by the time we had to leave they were asking "Can we come back here next year?" Well, it's in the Torch 2009 Holiday Brochure! Email Torch Holidays for information or call 01273 832282.

Open Days for Professionals working with blind and partially sighted people

These open days are a great opportunity for professionals to learn more about services offered to blind and partially sighted people by Torch Trust. There will be a chance to look around, meet the staff and find out what we do. A buffet lunch will be provided at both venues.

For more information and to book a place please email Pat Lower or call 01858 438260.

Annual Thanksgiving Celebration - 25th October 2008

Come to our new look Thanksgiving Celebration in Worcester - easily reached from the M5. There’s a lot going on, something to really engage anyone involved with the various aspects of Torch’s work.

After coffee at 11am there’s an informal time of singing, news and chat hosted by blind pianist Peter Jackson. Running in parallel are three workshop sessions: one for Torch Fellowship Group leaders with David Palmer, one for anyone interested in finding out what's involved in producing our audio literature with Lydia Tebbutt, and one for those who get involved with our international outreach led by Janet Stafford.

At 2pm we shall all get together to give thanks to God for His goodness to us over this, our 49th year. This time will include testimonies, music from the Torch singers, and a look ahead into 2009. We finish with tea and cakes at 3:30pm.

Directions to St Peter's Baptist Church, Worcester, WR5 3TZ: exit M5 at Junction 7 towards Worcester. Left at first roundabout onto A4440 named Crookbarrow Way. At next roundabout turn right into St Peter’s Drive. Follow the road round until you see St Peter’s church on your left. [If you find problems locating the address with a Sat Nav, try WR5 3TA or WR5 3TY.]

If you plan to bring a group please let us know for catering purposes. Phone 01858 438260 or email Beth Goddard

Foursight for the Church

At Spring Harvest in Skegness, Torch launched its Foursight for the Church initiative. It's a four step programme that's intended to raise awareness of people with sight loss in church and to help churches to fully include them. To find our more visit the new website: www.torch-foursight.org.

Visitors to our striking new exhibtion stand at Skegness were able to register for the Church Pack there and then. 116 people representing 104 churches did. How about you and your church?

New Churches for All Website

Churches for All or CfA is a partnership of Christian disability organisations. Torch Trust is an active partner.

CfA has launched a new website. It's a unique resource for churches seeking to be more inclusive of disabled people, including blind and partially sighted people. Instead of starting with the disablity, this website starts with the type of activity to be undertaken by the church or leader and then raises the issues that arise for disabled people.

Assistant Chief Executive appointed

Andew Nicholson has joined Torch Trust as Assistant Chief Executive, working with Torch's Chief Executive Gordon Temple. Andrew brings strong financial and administrative leadership skills. Andrew previously worked with FIEC where he organised the Cheltenham Bible Festival in 2007.

Andrew is married to Meryl and they have two children. They live in Market Harborough and are involved in the life of Market Harborough Baptist Church.

New Chair for Torch

Torch welcomes a new chair for its trustee board. Marilyn Baker took on this responsibility at the beginning of the year, following on from Rev. Ron Wells who has been chair for 10 years. Marilyn is supported in her role by the appointment of a vice chair, Dr Clive Dilloway.

Marilyn, who has been blind from birth, is well known as a singer and songwriter. She formed Marilyn Baker Ministries 25 years ago and now has a diverse ministry that includes running rest and renewal breaks that are a blessing to many, including quite a few blind people. Marilyn says, “It is a privilege to serve the Lord in this way. I was helped so much by Torch in earlier years”. Looking ahead Marilyn enthuses, “It’s an exciting period, with next year being Torch’s 50th. We plan to use this opportunity to raise awareness, not just of the work of Torch, but also of the needs of blind and partially sighted people who sometimes feel a bit left out at church.” Marilyn presents Torch’s weekly radio programme on Premier Radio at 9pm each Saturday.

Clive enjoyed a long and successful career with BP, from which he is now retired. For a number of years he served as a trustee and then chair of the Bible Society and now chairs the Chichester Diocesan Board of Finance. His wife, Kate, is one of Torch’s most prolific volunteer braille transcribers.

Reading Through Audio

Reading Through Audio is an initiative set up by Torch and other groups who provide audio for people with print disabilities to raise awareness about what's available in audio and how modern technology is providing alternatives to the cassette tape.

The initiative is aimed primarily at Rehabilitation Workers but will be of interest to anyone who likes to access audio material.

Thanksgiving Celebration Saturday 27 October 2007

Torch's annual Thanksgiving will be held in Tonbridge Baptist Church, Kent at 2.30pm. A highlight will be a visit from the Watoto Children's choir from Uganda. All are welcome to join us for an afternoon of praise and thanksgiving.

Premier Radio publises the INSIGHT show

Listen to INSIGHT with Marilyn Baker at 4pm each Sunday afternoon: in the Greater London area on 1305, 1332, 1413 MW, or DAB and elsewhere in the UK on Sky Digital 0123, Virgin Media 698, Freeview 725. Or go to www.premier.org.uk and click "Listen Now".

Disability Sunday 7 October 2007

Here's an opportunity to encourage your church to think about the needs of blind, partially sighted and other disabled people.

Cheltenham Bible Festival 9-11 August 2007

The Federation of International Evangelical Churches (FIEC) is holding their annual Bible festival at Cheltenham Race Course.

Come and visit Torch at their stand in the Global Village marquee and, if you're there on the Saturday, come and join the special Torch Fellowship Group Meeting starting at 4pm - in the Tote Sport room!

Open Day has changed to Open Nights!

To try and attract different people we have decided to try something new this year. Instead of having the Open Day, scheduled for Saturday 16th June, we are planning two summer-time evening "Open House" events at Torch.

Join us for a bar-be-que and fellowship on the evenings of either Wednesday 25th July or Friday 31st August, between 6pm and 9pm.

DAISY audio New Testament now available.

DAISY stands for Digital Accessible Information Sytem. It's audio with structure and navigation. Using special DAISY players, books on DAISY CD become truely accessible to blind and partially sighted people.

Torch first used DAISY for Every Day with Jesus - daily Bible readings from CWR. It was the world's first periodical in this format. Using the simple controls on the DAISY player the reader could skip from day to day and navigate the daily content of Bible reading, commentary, prayer and further reading.

Now Torch has completed an audio New Testament in the DAISY format, fully indexed to verse level. It has been a massive task but the results are exciting. First select book, then chapter, then paragraph and finally verse - in around the time it would take a sighted person to find the reference in a print Bible.

The DAISY New Testament is the result of a major collaborative effort. Hodder and Stoughton, publishers of Today's New International Version (TNIV), provided the actor-read digital recording, Torch staff and volunteers structured the audio to add navigation to verse level with all the necessary announcements, and the RNIB produced the disc and packaging.

The DAISY New Testament is available to bona fide blind and partially sighted people in the UK (and elsewhere subject to copyright) from both Torch and the RNIB for £3.99, around the cost of a standard print New Testament.

To order email Torch info@torchtrust.org or call 01858 438260.

News Archive

DYNAMIC LINE-UP FOR BIBLE CELEBRATION EVENT