Welcome to Eye Matter Matters issue 33. 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 written by Fiona Musgrove. If you would like to contribute an article to a future edition, please email fiona.musgrove@yahoo.co.uk
This edition includes:
Eye Matter Zoom events
- “Bounce” – Join us on Wednesday 8th October for our next “Bounce”.
- “Inspired by the elements” on Friday 10th October at the “Cathartic Writing” session hosted by Joanna Barnet.
- Eye Matter’s “Living Well With Sight Loss” course (in partnership with RNIB) returns for its 14th series,
- “Aspects of Love” at Eye Matter’s ’Poetry Appreciation’ group; Next session at 11am on Friday, 31st October
Eye Matter Outings
- Audio described tour of the Kings’ Gallery, Royal Collection Trust
- Eye Matter Singers Christmas Concert
- Eye Matter’s Winter Extravaganza
Eye Matter’s volunteering opportunities
- Voiceover training
- Members Outreach Programme
Special Features
- Richard’s Big Blind Waddle for Eye Matter.
- The Blind Poet’s determination to see life after sight-loss.
- Swinging from the chandeliers with Katriona Taylor and Duncan Clarke.
Non Eye Matter Events
- “Our Time” audio described performances (1.30pm and 7.30pm) on 24th October.
- Visually impaired (VI) dance teacher, Lesta Woo returns in November for a four-week dance programme.
Forthcoming Eye Matter Zoom events
Keep up to date with our activities here.
Highlights include:
Bounce – Join us on Wednesday 8th October for our next Bounce.
September’s questions included:
How do I get rid of the Meta AI message that has appeared in my What’s App chats?
What other AI apps and tools would people recommend?
How best to recruit a PA?
Click here to access our catalogue of helpful ideas for your sight loss.
Inspired by the elements on Friday 10th October’s cathartic writing session with Joanna Barnet.
September’s theme was the four elements (earth, air, Fire and Water inspiring writing for Octobers session:
● Which of the elements do you most identify with? Choose one and write about it
● Describe a person (real or imagined) who fits the characteristics of your chosen element
● Write about what happens when two of the elements meet
● Write an acrostic poem about your chosen element, by using each letter of the word to start a line of poetry, for example:
E
A
R
T
H
Your piece can either be read by yourself or by emailing Jo or Suzie ahead of the session. Please click here to read our Facebook post.
Eye Matter’s “Living Well With Sight Loss” course, in partnership with RNIB, returns for its 14th series, on Thursday 30th October.
The six-week course, meets every Thursday for 2 hours, providing access to guest speakers along with opportunities to meet and share experiences with other members. Boost your confidence and get practical advice, information, and resources during This free and informal Zoom based course. It is an ideal way to help you adjust to your sight condition, increase your independence, and grow your confidence.
Course dates: Thursday 30th October 11am-1pm, Thursday 6th November 11am-1pm, Thursday 13th November 11am-1pm, Thursday 20th November 11am-1pm, Thursday 27th November 11am-1pm, Thursday 4th December 11am-1pm
Andy, from Worcester joined our May course, “The course was brilliant and has been of real practical benefit. Great content, great facilitators, and really well presented.”
Speakers include Transport for London Accessibility representative, low vision advice, understanding welfare rights, sports and leisure, rehabilitation and ECLOs, mental health well-being session and resource centre with everyday gadgets.
“Aspects of love” for Eye Matter’s ’Poetry Appreciation’ group
- Next session Friday 31st October 11am via Zoom.
On Friday 5th September 18 participants joined Diana Bramson for another fantastic ‘Poetry Appreciation’ session. This month’s theme was “Aspects of Love”. Diana read five different poems around this theme and after each the group were invited to discuss their reactions. This included a poem of unrequited love, “nothing I am will make you love me more”
It is always interesting to hear two conflicting interpretations of the same poem, for one member they just sounded desperate whereas another thought that they finally realised nobody would ever love them!
Join us again on Friday 31st October for our next engaging ‘Poetry Appreciation’ session with Diana Bramson. If you wish to contribute a poem on the theme “Aspects of Love”, please email a copy to Suzie before the next session or read it yourself on the day. Click here to read the full article.
Eye Matter Outings
Find all our events here
Last few places available for the following events:
The King’s Gallery, Royal Collection Trust
When: Tuesday, 14th October at 10am
Meet and greet: 9:30am at Green Park station (Jubilee, Victoria and Piccadilly lines) Buckingham Palace exit.
Enjoy a fascinating audio described tour exploring the opulence and glamour of the Edwardian era. More than 300 objects from the Royal Collection will be on display, many for the first time, including works by renowned artists including Carl Fabergé, Frederic Leighton, Edward Burne-Jones, Laurits Tuxen, John Singer Sargent and William Morris.
To book your tickets for either or both events, please email: suzie@eyematter.org.uk.
Tickets are £5 voluntary donation.
Eye Matter Singers Christmas concert, Saturday 6th December
Kings Cross, £5 voluntary donation
Eye Matter is delighted to invite you to join the Eye Matter Singers for a Christmas concert on Saturday 6th December 2025
Concert will start at 4pm. Meet and greet will be at 3:30pm at St Pancras Station, Midland Road Exit, near the Thameslink barriers.
St Pancras & Somers Town Living Centre, 2, Ossulston Street, London NW1 1DF
Come and join us for some festive cheer and to eat, drink and be merry!
For more information email suzie@eyematter.org.uk with the subject “concert”.
Thursday 11th December, Winter Extravaganza, Crown Hotel London, £45
Eye Matter is delighted to invite you to our third “Winter Extravaganza”!
Date: Thursday, 11th December 2025
Location: The Crown London Hotel, 152 Cricklewood Broadway, London NW2 3ED
Time: 11:30am-6:00pm
Meet & Greet: 10:15am at St. Pancras International, Midland Road Exit, near the Thameslink barriers
Join Eye Matter for a fun-filled day and indulge in a sumptuous four-course lunch. Menu TBC.
Please let us know of any dietary requirements and we will do our utmost to accommodate them.
Drinks can be purchased at your table or from the bar.
The Extravaganza will also feature stunning performances from 60s inspired band “The Beats”, quizzes, a festive raffle, and much more.
Dress to boogie, sparkle and enjoy!
Tickets are subsidised at £45 per person.
Eye Matter never wants financial constraints to be a barrier, so please contact us if this amount may prove prohibitive. Equally, please donate towards the Extravaganza if you are able to, as this will allow more people to attend.
All donations and prizes for the extravaganza raffle gratefully received on the day.
Thank you for your generosity, we can’t wait to celebrate with you!
Eye Matter’s volunteering opportunities
- Eye Matter encourages peer support amongst its members.
- No experience is necessary
- Provides work experience within a safe environment.
- All work is done through Zoom or on a phone (unless stated otherwise).
- You will learn to work both independently and as part of a team.
- These roles are for anyone who wants to support others or upskill for future employment opportunities
- Training is provided
Voiceover training
- Required participation of six (one hour) sessions over six weeks.
- An alternative number is required (preferably a land line).
Click here to read the testimonials of members who have benefitted from this project.
Members Outreach Programme
- coordinated by Eye Matter’s member liaison officer, the wonderful Irena Valchera.
- This role includes assisting Irena to reach out to our ever-growing membership.
- Check on their wellbeing, confirm their continued interest in membership, and ensure that they are able to join our Zoom sessions.
- Minimum commitment of one call per week.
If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please email suzie@eyematter.org.uk
Special features
Richard’s Big Blind Waddle for Eye Matter
Waddling the Athens Marathon on Saturday 9th November 2025.
“I’m not quite a runner, not quite a walker — more of a waddler, really. But this November, I’ll be waddling all 26.2 miles of the Athens Marathon to raise money for Eye Matter, a small charity that’s all heart and no waffle.”
Richard Simpson is Seriously Sight Impaired (registered blind due to glaucoma) “My world narrowed slowly and painfully: first the edges blurred, then faces became harder to read, then the familiar turned into shadows. It’s frustrating, humbling, and at times exhausting. But it’s never stopped me moving forward — sometimes literally one stubborn step at a time.”
Why Donate?
For many members, Eye Matter isn’t just a charity. It’s a lifeline.
“So laugh at my waddle, roll your eyes at my madness, cheer me on, or secretly hope I fall flat on my face. But do one thing: dig deep. Because every penny you give goes directly to helping blind and partially sighted people live fuller, more independent lives. Be generous. Be quick. Be part of the waddle.”
To read more about Richard’s past fundraising events, his personal attitude towards sight-loss and desire to support Eye Matter please donate here:
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/richardsbigblindwaddle
Why the Athen’s Marathon?
The Athens Marathon has a history as epic as the challenge itself. It traces back to the ancient Greek messenger Pheidippides, who in 490 BC is said to have run from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens to announce victory over the Persians — before collapsing. His legendary effort inspired the creation of the modern marathon, and today thousands retrace that same route each year. “I may waddle rather than sprint, but I’ll be covering the same historic ground.”
Why Eye Matter?
- Because it’s different. Eye Matter is run by doers, not PR wafflers. No glossy campaigns, no six-figure salaries, no committees churning out spin. Just passionate volunteers putting on over 200 events a year
- Audio-described tours that bring galleries and museums alive.
- Creative workshops in music, theatre, and art.
- Confidence-building courses from public speaking to tech skills.
- Peer-support groups and socials that stop isolation in its tracks.
- Outdoor activities and a community choir that keep people moving and connected.
You can also follow some of Richard’s progress on our Facebook page here
The Blind Poet’s determination to see life after sight-loss.
- On Tuesday 2nd September Eye Matter were honoured to welcome our ‘Inspiring Speaker’ Dave Steele AKA The Blind Poet.
Dave Steele is an award-winning poet, author, and motivational speaker from Manchester who was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition, in 2014. Since then, he has become known worldwide as The Blind Poet, using his powerful words to raise awareness of sight loss and to inspire others facing adversity.
In a very honest and open presentation Dave revealed his sight-loss journey from first diagnosis to the terror of sight-loss and its impact on his young family as he suddenly faced unemployment. Dave was able to relate sympathetically to members personal experiences within sight-loss and how they were overcoming preconceptions.
Dave peppered the session with his poetry to the spellbound members. He read one poem written from the perspective of a white cane and another dedicated to his son Austin. He confided how he is concerned that this genetic condition could be passed to his children and hoped by his efforts society would be very different for visually impaired people in the future.
Please click here to read more.
Swinging from the chandeliers with Katriona Taylor and Duncan Clarke.
- An exclusive Zoom concert for Eye Matter.
For over15 years, Katriona Taylor has carved her way as a professional singer/songwriter working with an eclectic range of singers and musicians. However, together with pianist and singer, Duncan Clarke, she kindly agreed to perform exclusively for Eye Matter this evening (Tuesday 30th September) live on Zoom.
The pair sang a range of duets and Katriona performed some covers along with her own compositions, all accompanied by Duncan on his Grand Piano. For one hour they both delivered a fantastic range of musical scores including songs from Dione Warwick, Sia (Chandelier) Burt Bacharach (an American composer and pianist, renowned for his distinctive melodies and arrangements) and finishing with an encore of “In the shallow’ by Lady Gaga and Bradley cooper. The sound quality, so often a problem through Zoom, was excellent broadcasting from Duncan’s South London living room via his son in Newcastle University.
Another member described how The Blind Poet (AKA Dave Steele) had revealed within Eye Matter’s “Inspiring Speakers’ earlier this month his techniques of writing prose, similar to song lyrics, within minutes. Katriona confided that it had taken her years to confidently write her own music. admitting it could be written in one hour or over a number of days. Rather than just writing lyrics she considers how the words would sound when sang or a particular tone she would like to achieve through the words and melody. From the basic creation she is then able to arrange the score for both her vocals and accompanying musicians.
Please click here for the full article and where to catch Katriona singing live across London:
Non Eye Matter Events
Our time -Special audio described shows (1.30pm and 7.30pm) on 24th October.
– Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, Lyric Square, King St, London W6 0QL
– Featuring visually impaired cabaret artist Ebony Rose Dark.
– Tickets cost £10 (or just £5 when purchased with a Band A ticket for Our Time). To book, click here.
Turtle Key Arts presents Amici: Our Time 22-25th October (85 minutes running time).
Join Amici Dance Theatre Company as they mark 45 years of groundbreaking inclusive performance with Our Time – a powerful, poignant and deeply personal new production that shines a light on love, resilience and history.
Please click here to read the full article and links on ‘Blind Lives’.
Visually impaired (vi) dance teacher, Lesta Woo returns in November for a four-week dance programme.
- Starting Sunday 2nd November 1-2pm, based in The Place, Home of the London School of Contemporary Dance London.
“This is a fun and friendly open level swing dance course of 4 classes where participants will learn to dance and practice with a partner.”
To Register:
Phone or text Lesta: 07813579817
or Email: dis.swingthing@gmail.com
Earlier this year, in collaboration with Illuminate Freedom, Lesta hosted a number of on-line sessions for Eye Matter members. These dances were based on a jazz interpretation of Lindy hop specifically for people dancing alone. Although she uses the same instruction and techniques for both types, of delivery, having a partner often provides a more enjoyable experience.
Each lesson will consist of fundamental swing dance techniques, based on Lindy-Hop which is an African American dance originating from Harlem in the 1920s, alongside specialised VI dance techniques There will be a fun and eclectic range of music to bop to. Of course, some swingy jazz tunes but also some funk, soul, disco, rhythm & blues, reggae, afrobeats.
After class, there is an option to experience some live jazz music and dance at “Jamboree”, a live music venue with food and drinks – Performance by ‘The Prospective Collective’.
This is the second series of dance classes run by Lesta, who hopes to attract even more members than the 18 who previously attended.