Welcome to Eye Matter Matters issue 24. This is a fortnightly publication where Eye Matter shares news and information about events and activities, members’ experiences and other items of interest. Unless otherwise indicated, all articles have been contributed by Fiona Musgrove. If you would like to contribute an article to a future edition, please contact Fiona at: fiona.musgrove@yahoo.co.uk
This edition includes:
Eye Matter Zoom events
- “Sing into Spring” with The Eye Matter Singers🎶
Eye Matter Outings
- “Neurobics” with Steve Wax.
- Sight Village Glasgow
- Eye Matter Spring Concert with the Eye Matter Singers.
- Henry Moore Studios and Gardens- A private audio described tour.
- An audio described tour to Frameless
Special Features
- 17 miles swum and £700 raised for Eye Matter
- “Thank you to everyone at Eye Matter – you make being blind fun!”
- Members praise Eye Natter’s creative writing programme.
- Hair and Care for Eye Matter members.
- On Tues 8th April Eye Matter participated in Sight Village Wales.
Eye Matter Zoom events
Keep up to date with our activities here.
Highlights include:
“Sing into Spring” with The Eye Matter Singers🎶
Sessions will run every Monday for 11 weeks and Wednesday 28th May 6pm to 7pm. A performance will take place on Saturday 31st May (this is optional).
These sessions are aimed at all levels and abilities of singing as a fun, social programme.
Eye Matter Outings
Find all our events here
Highlights include:
Here are the outings and events available for Eye Matter members:
“Neurobics” with Steve Wax.
In partnership with Hounslow Council, RNIB, and The Middlesex Association for the Blind.
Thursday 8th May time 2pm to 4pm
80 St John’s Road, Isleworth, Middlesex, TW7 6NY
Meet and greet at 1:40pm at Isleworth Station or 1:55pm at the hall.
This is in conjunction with our monthly Zoom sessions. Neurobics is a preventative and rehabilitative treatment programme which supports people to “Challenge the Body, Stimulate the Brain & Lift the Heart.”
Brain and body Fitness has become a vital element for lifelong well-being. As a response, Neurobics can help you to manage, postpone or eliminate cognitive decline. Every day, your brain forms NEW NEURAL CONNECTIONS, provided you give it what it needs. Your brain’s ability to change and grow is called NEUROPLASTICITY. It has been proved that the brain is like “plastic” – it can physically remodel itself. Simple brain-fitness exercises, and being more mindful of various lifestyle habits, are an essential way to slow down cognitive decline, improve brain fitness, and harness the power of the brain’s ability to change! This can help with improving memory, speed of reaction, concentration, focus, sleeping patterns, outside the box thinking, stress management and enabling an overall SHARPER BRAIN.
Sight Village Glasgow
Wednesday 21st May from 10am.
At The Science Centre, Glasgow, Scotland.
Join Eye Natter at the Sight Village who are the UK’s leading exhibitions and an integral part of the blind and low vision landscape. Each year they attract thousands of visitors eager to explore the latest technology, products and support services.
Eye Matter Spring Concert with the Eye Matter Singers
On Saturday 31st May, 4pm to 6pm
Meet and Greet at St Pancras International Station Midland Road Exit by the Thameslink barrier at 3:30pm.
St Pancras & Somers Town Living Centre,150 Ossulston Street, London NW1 1DF
For twelve weeks our magnificent members have been learning
A variety of upbeat songs including: “Walking On Sunshine”, “Dancing In the Street”, “Oh What A Night” and many more. Spend your afternoon toe tapping along with Eye Matter.
Henry Moore Studios and Gardens- A private audio described tour.
On Thursday 5th June
Meet and greet at Stratford Station at 12:50pm
Tickets cost £30 – this covers the train from Stratford to Ware, only paying from zone 6, the minibus from Ware to the Gardens, entrance to the gardens and the return travel to Stratford. Sighted guides will need to have a ticket to cover them from Stratford to Enfield Lock (zone 6)
Dane Tree House, Perry Green, Much Hadham, Hertfordshire, SG10 6EE
The tour will include some context about the site, house, visit a couple of studios & of course interact with the outdoor sculptures! Experience Henry Moore’s iconic work in the beautiful Hertfordshire countryside with a visit to the artist’s former home, studios and sculpture gardens.
An audio described tour to Frameless
On Thursday 26th June, 2pm
Meet and Greet at Marble Arch Station Oxford Street exit at 1:30pm
Tickets £9
Frameless is redefining the experiential immersive art world. Situated in Marble Arch, they are the largest permanent multi-sensory experience in the UK. Frameless features four galleries and showcases some of the world’s greatest works of art presented in ways never seen before. Where art breaks free.
To book any Eye Matter outings please email suzie@eyematter.org.uk stating clearly which event and how many tickets you require.
Special features
17 miles swam and £700 raised for Eye Matter
A huge thanks to our mermaid Nicky Newport as she nears the virtual French coast. If you would like to attempt something amazing to ensure Eye Matter’s activities continue, please contact Suzie for a fundraising link.
In the meantime, please continue to support Nicky: Nicky is so appreciative of the staff at Forest Hill swimming pool as she continues to simulate 22 miles from Dover to Calais. Please continue to support Nicky.
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/nickynewportswimsforeyematter
“Thank you to everyone at Eye Matter – you make being blind fun!”
Eye Matter members review their experience with FlowSense
Hina Majeed and Tasha are currently taking part in Eye Matter’s collaboration with FlowSense. Generously funded by Innovate UK and led by Muna Daud, FlowSense is the world’s first accessible period blood detection device for visually impaired women which aims to help manage and track menstrual cycles (as well as providing information about their general health).
Hina, who has been a member for a year, has Macular Dystrophy, which affects her central vision expressed her thoughts, “This experience was important for me as it felt good to connect with other women with the added connections of sight loss. It’s imperative to feel like we are part of a community as the greater community and society can be very discriminating and unaware of how isolating it can be to have an eye condition which affects every part of our lives.”
About her experience of testing the product she said, “This device would be amazing for those who are blind as they may struggle the most.” FlowSense is an experimental prototype device that detects period blood once placed directly on a sanitary pad or underwear. Thus, empowering visually impaired women to independently differentiate between period blood and discharge. Tasha confides, “knowing if and when one has started bleeding can be difficult or close to impossible.”
Tasha has been involved with this project since November 2024 (after meeting Suzie at Sight Village London). Her sight loss occurred unexpectedly during the COVID lock-down (2020) due to a rare genetic disease called Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy Plus (LHON). LHON Plus is an extension of the genetic disease Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy. Over a few months she lost central vision in both eyes and her remaining peripheral vision has become affected by colour blindness. “The journey to finding the cause of my vision loss was long and difficult: This seemed like a perfect opportunity to meet new people similar to myself, learn and contribute positively to an amazing and innovative product. My background is in research and data analytics, so I love this kind of thing. One of the first audiobooks I listened to after losing my eyesight was cycle tracking, ‘Period Power’ by Maisie Hill.”
About the FlowSense project Tasha said, “I was so impressed to hear that the FlowSense team were working to improve the accessibility of menstrual care for blind and partially sighted women by developing a device that can detect and confirm period blood. It amazed me that something like this didn’t already exist! The FlowSense device will give women with sight loss greater control and independence over how they manage and track their menstrual cycle. It will reduce the stress and anxiety felt by visually impaired women in addition to helping us grow in confidence – what a game changer!”
Members praise Eye Natter’s creative writing programme
Eye Matter are delighted with the response from members to their new cathartic writing programme, delivered monthly, by author Joanna Barnard. Each session consists of a different theme which is reflected in her selected pieces of prose or writings which she reads aloud to engage group discussions. For many members being able to share their own personal writings is the highlight of the session. New member Hayley said, “I have attended three cathartic writing sessions with the lovely Joanna as facilitator. I have found these sessions to be inspirational and deeply moving. I love the different themes that are presented to us to explore and direct our creative writing cells. Thus, given every Person who chooses to participate in writing a piece of prose a voice, presence and most importantly to be heard by others. Thank you, Eye Matter, for collaborating with Joanna Barnard. It is truly reignited the creative flame I have within me and what is more, a safe space has been created in order for us to share.”
“I had a great time at the creative writing session it was such a fantastic way to spend a Friday morning with friends” agreed Tasha.
Thanks to the Ronson Foundation, we were able to engage Joanna Williams, a qualified counsellor and also a novelist (published under the name Joanna Barnard) to lead these sessions. She is very interested in the intersection between creative writing and mental health and has been facilitating writing for wellbeing classes for over seven years, as well as using therapeutic writing tools in her counselling practice.
This is a drop-in session for Eye Matter members (you do not need to let us know you are interested or put your name down.) These sessions will be every 4 weeks.
Dates for your diary: Here’s a list of all the remaining dates:
9th of May, 6th of June, 1st of July, 12th of September, 10th of October, 7th of November, 5th of December, 2nd of January 2026, 30thof January 2026
Hair and Care for Eye Matter members
On Wednesday 9th April Eye Matter were invited to the Hackney Depot (East London) to the offices of Hair and Care for an exclusive workshop.
The workshop was led by Anna and a team of industry professional hairstylist volunteers. The group were taught hair care fundamentals such as accessible hair washing, scalp care, how to safely and confidently use different tools, brushes, combs, and how to style for different occasions.
“It was such a joy to have everyone there, including Anna and Noemi. The group had so many thoughtful questions, which was amazing! Our volunteers and Anna, our founder, were able to share some great tips and advice.”
Leanna, Social Media Manager for Hair & Care.
Eye Matter are looking at setting another date with this fantastic team in the near future. Please contact us if you would like to attend.
Read the full article here:
On Tues 8th April Eye Matter participated in Sight Village Wales. A very husky Suzie and Noemi brought Eye Matter to Wales and have been welcomed with open arms. Suzie Simons (Eye Matter’s Founder) said, “Eye Matter has had a fantastic time at sight village Cardiff, meeting Retina UK, Sight Life (formerly Cardiff Institute for the Blind), The Royal National College for the Blind and Sight Cymru.” Thanks to everyone who came over to say hello and welcome to our new members.
To read more and see our pics: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid08isPHTR2s6VavgZ2GMgahtLGcerg5MNy4eL38DFFUE14J1xCCwbZ3p6dYJD621PQl&id=100064088379673&_rdr