TheBlindJournalist: Penny Coin Future

Your glovebox, at the back of the sofa and in your grandmas house… These are all places you’re likely to find the forgotten about one penny coin.You’ve probably forgotten about it thanks to inflation because the 1p coin is now worth less than the 1/2p was when it was abolished in 1984.
Although there are no plans to phase out the penny, our reporter Mohammed Salim Patel  went out to explore if people think it should be.


 

TheBlindJournalist: Acoustic Rifle Shooting

TheBlindJournalist: A Dogged Campaign For A Doggy Cause

A Dogged Campaign For A Doggy Cause

TheBlindJournalist reports from Herefordshire.

Blind man seeks legal change to involve police in guide dog access issues.

Stephen Anderson BA, 25, a politics graduate from Harrow has launched a campaign, in the form of an online petition, to improve legal protection for guide dogs and other service dogs.

Pending the success of the campaign, Stephen hopes to give the police the powers to instantly sanction businesses, buildings and taxi companies/ddrivers whom do not provide access to guide dogs and their owners.

Although, the current legislative provision works in theory, the practice is very different. As seen by a recent report carried out by the Guide Dogs Organisation, which stated that three quarters of all guide dog owners have been denied access somewhere.

Mr. Anderson BA feels that the government should implement the example of countries like France and the Republic of Ireland.

Stephen was galvanised to take action after continuously coming across incidents of guide dogs being refused at point blank.

Stephen said:
"If you go onto Google or YouTube and search ‘guide dog refused’, the numbers are pretty constant and all follow a similar pattern – bouncers and/or business owners claim that they didn’t know guide dogs had to be allowed in. If the police were involved, nobody would dare try their luck."

Other countries like the Republic of Ireland and France have made this simple change and in both countries guide dog owners have seen a real difference.

People who experience discrimination can currently take those who refuse a service dog to county court under the Equality Act, often at their own expense, which can be a long  and stressful process.

Mr. Anderson wants the police to become involved when a guide dog owner is denied access to a public place or business, issuing on the spot fines which rise for repeat offences. 

"If I could have one hope for this campaign it is to shine a light on the constant discrimination that guide dog owners face on a daily basis. The status quo doesn’t work and the Equality Act doesn’t do what it says on the tin. It’s time to make a simple legislative change to give blind and partially sighted people more piece of mind when going outside, trying to live life like everyone else. Parliament has nothing to lose by making this change, but we have so much to gain from it." furthered Stephen.

The petition is published on HM Government’s petition website and can be signed here - https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/119134

TheBlindJournalist: Letter To My MP

Dear Ms Hollern.

My name is Mohammed Salim Patel.  I am a 21-year-old, Blind journalist from Blackburn and have interviewed Mr Jack Straw in the past.

I am writing to you today because  Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Personal Independence Payments (PIP) are designed to make a contribution towards the extra costs caused by long term health conditions and disabilities. They are very important to blind and partially sighted people who face a wide range of additional daily living costs. These include, for example, payments to a reader, higher food bills due to difficulties cooking, higher heating costs, the cost of house cleaning and maintenance and the purchase of a wide range of aids and appliances. The help provided by DLA and PIP towards these additional costs makes a real difference to people's independence and quality of life.

Unfortunately this looks set to change. The proposals in the current DWP Consultation on PIP eligibility, if implemented, would mean a dramatic reduction in the amount of help provided or, in some cases, no help at all.

The DWP’s consultation is specifically seeking views on whether to make changes to the current policy on aids and appliances, in the context of the PIP daily living component. If any one of the five proposals go through it will put at risk the support blind and partially sighted people receive to tackle the additional costs faced as a result of their disability.

To make matters worse, the loss of PIP could impact on entitlement to other benefits, such as Carer’s Allowance or benefits that have premiums if you get PIP.

This cannot be right. I am writing to ask you to contact the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to ask him to re-examine the proposals in light of this significant impact on blind people. The consultation (Cm 9171) closes on 29 January.

I rely  heavily on these components of benefit and my independence and quality of life would be taken  Away  if legislation was to change. As you are my  MP  I urge you to please do something about this and contact Mr Smith. 

 Thanking you in advance

Kindest Regards:
TheBlindJournalist
Mohammed Salim Patel
theblindjournalist.blogspot.co.uk

 

TheBlindJournalist: Seable Disabled Holidays - Active Accessible Holidays

Seable Disabled Holidays – Accessible Active Holidays.

TheBlindJournalist reports from Sicily.

In 2011 an Italian man set up an organisation which would go on to change the lives of all its users.
Damiano La Rocca, 29, from Catanya, Italy came up with the idea to provide accessible active holidays, to those with physical or sensorial disabilities, because he wanted to fulfil a life-long dream.

Damiano said:
“My Dad is a scuba-diving instructor. He taught me that in life, you have to accept the challenge. It was that sentiment that drove me to set up Seable Disabled Holidays. Seable is an award winning social enterprise organising accessible and active holidays for individuals, couples, families and small groups. We enable people with limited mobility, impaired vision or deafness to easily participate in life-changing experiences through sporting, cultural and gastronomic activities in new and interesting destinations.
Our holidays are tailored for each person and we guarantee a stress-free booking process while providing local knowledge that you need in order to enjoy the holiday to the fullest.”

Rosie Johnston, 27, a blind lady from Epson, London said:
“I thoroughly enjoyed my holiday in Sicily. It was a fantastic experience. The Seable staff were very helpful, friendly and informative. I will definitely go on a holiday with Seable again and highly recommend them.”

One of Damiano’s visions was to work with various organisations.
Damiano furthered:
“We collaborate with local and international charities to guarantee the maximum level of knowledge and experience. Our partners, aim to make a difference in the world by catering exclusively for people with disabilities. “

One charity that Seable work with on a regular base is VICTA, who are based in Milton Keens, England.
Mohammed Salim Patel, 21, a blind man From Blackburn, Lancashire said:
“I cannot put into words how good the service is provided by Seable Disabled Holidays. I went to Sicily with them, and VICTA, in October 2015 and I was extremely satisfied with the five star service that was provided. Damiano and his staff ensured I was completely comfortable at all times. Damiano went out of his way on many occasions to help me and meet my requirements. Seable Disabled Holidays are always prepared to Taylor your holiday to suit you and your needs. All the staff are very friendly and understanding. You do not feel as if you're disabled because they make sure you are treated as normal and that you get to do what you want. They will fulfil any dietary or religious requirements you have and do everything in their power to make sure you have the best time with no stress. I recommend Seable Disabled Holidays highly. Every excursion that is offered is worth every penny and provides the most authentic experience possible that you wouldn’t get through any other travel agency or tour operator.”

Although Seable has only been running for a few years, the organisation has achieved a lot. Seable has a portfolio of achievement that includes two Guinness World Records. Both were in deep-sea diving. The first was in 2007 when a Paraplegic man reached 59 metres underwater. The second was in 2009 when a blind girl reached 41 metres underwater.

On this topic, Damiano said:
“Our aim is to improve confidence and skills for life, challenging perceptions of disabilities and blindness. Our emphasis is always on high quality, multi-sensory experiences.”

Aside from scuba-diving, 4x4 off road driving, going to the top of Europe’s highest active volcano; Mount Etna, Mediterranean olive oil making  and tactile museum visits; Seable have a whole list of activities they offer, all of which are completely accessible and competitively priced.

To find out more about Seable Disabled Holidays, visit their website on:
http://seable.co.uk/

For more information about VICTA and what they provide, visit:
http://www.victa.org.uk/

To learn more about, and view more work of TheBlindJournalist, visit:
http://theblindjournalist.blogspot.co.uk/

TheBlindJournalist: David Townley Twenty20 Memorial Cup Report

BCEW David Townley Memorial Twenty20 Cup Finals Day Report.

 

TheBlindJournalistreports from London.

 

It has been a record breaking and history making season this year for the Lancashire Lions and they added to their landmarks when Captain Sheraz Chohan led his side to the Twenty20 Finals Day, for the first time in the club's history, after they beat a BCEW side on 1st August.

 

The Finals Day took place in Highgate, London on Saturday 19th September. Four teams had reached this stage; the Lancashire Lions, Sussex Sharks, London Metro and the Warwickshire Bears.

 

As Captain Sheraz Chohan went up for the draw, his players eagerly awaited the result to find out who they would be playing in the semi-finals. The outcome was that Lancashire would face league champions Warwickshire.

 

The match toss was won by the Lions who bowled first. Usman Afridi opened the bowling to Justin Hollingsworth. However, he was no challenge for the Lions as he was caught out by Wasim Afridi off Usman Afridi's bowling. Warwickshire's other key batsman, Luke Sugg, was also no threat to Lancashire as he was caught and bowled by Mohammed Janaid. The Lions had control of the innings from start to finish.

 

Warwickshire, who usually obliterate teams by putting up scores that can't be reached, were stuck between a rock and a hard place because of Lancashire's dominance throughout. The plan and tactics of Captain Sheraz proved to be downfall of one of the best batting partnerships in the blind cricket world. 

 

At the end of the first innings Warwickshire could only manage to put 133/5 on the scoreboard. Amjad Khan, Sheraz Chohan and Arslan Sabir all bowled very well which cocooned the Bears because they couldn't hit out.

 

Following a galvanising speech from the Captain, Usman and Wasim Afridi came out to bat. They both combined well until Usman Afridi was run out with 60 on the board. However, Wasim stepped up to the mark and combined with George Ferguson to see the game off in 16 overs. The Lions won by eight wickets.

 

This victory saw the Lancashire Lions through to the final but this result in itself was a massive achievement for the Lions as Warwickshire were the only team they hadn't beaten this season. Warwickshire were no match for the excellent performance by every player in the Lions team.

 

Sussex were the winners of their semi-final against London Metro which meant it was a Sharks V Lions Final.

 

Sussex won the toss and sent Lancashire into bat. Usman and Wasim Afridi opened the batting. Sussex were an excellent fielding side and took many catches and opportunities. Their ground fielding was superb. Usman Afridi made 41 before he was caught out. George Ferguson and Sheraz Chohan then came up to balance the game. Captain Sheraz anchored his innings and did his job superbly to keep George on strike, who was on fire. They both combined for a 40 plus partnership. George made 63 off the bat. The Lions totalled 149/7.

 

After a quick break Lancashire came out to bowl. Captain Sheraz Chohan's bowling sent shivers down the spine of Sussex Captain, Si Legwith. Si was caught out off Sheraz's bowling with 11 runs to his name. Sheraz bowled very well in this game also. His figures were three overs for 20 runs and two wickets. Arslan Sabir also made a name for himself as his bowling was economical and very fast. His figures were 3 overs for 10 runs.

 

Amjad Khan caught out Sussex's Ian Morris with a superb catch. Sussex kept chipping away at the score but Lancashire also kept fighting and took the final to the last over. The pressure fell on Mohammed Salim Patel to bowl the final over. Sussex needed 7 runs of 6 bowls. Salim said "I was flapping like a fish out of water" but he bowled very well and took the game to the last bowl.

 

Sussex managed to reach their target and lifted the trophy. The Lions had made history for themselves as they'd reached the final for the first time and managed to take their opponents to the very last bowl.  Credit to Lancashire's Captain and every player that played a part in getting Lancashire to where they were.

 

As well as Lancashire's Development team winning the Brian Johnston Memorial Trust Development Festival and being the runners up in the Development League, the club's successes didn't stop there. The National side had also made leaps of their own. They finished second in the National League, their highest position since the club's inception three years ago. They also reached the semi-finals of the British Blind Sport Primary Club Heindrich Swanepoel Memorial Cup by beating, the then, cup holders Sussex Sharks. To top it all off, and end the season on an even bigger high, Lancashire's Twenty20 side reached the final of the cup and took it to the last bowl of the match but only just lost to the Sussex Sharks.

 

There were also many personal achievements for a lot of the players:
Usman Afridi won the "Best Partial Batsman Of The Year Award" for making over 900 runs off the bat.

 

Wasim Afridi won the "Most Promising Player Of The Year Award"

 

Sheraz Chohan won the "Best Low Partial Player Of The Year Award" Sheraz also was the Captain for both cups which the Lions had entered.

 

Martin Robson won the "Best Total Bowler Of The Year Award" for taking 10 wickets. Martin was also Captain of the National side which finished second.

 

Amanda Large was also a nominee for the Female Player Of The Season Award.

 

There were a few fresh faces this season also but every debutant played their part in each and every game they played.

 

So, overall it has been an exceptional year in every aspect for the Lions, who will now have a break before they commence winter training in preparation for next season.

TheBlindJournalist: Brian Johnston Memorial Trust Development Festival Report

Brian Johnston Memorial Trust Development Festival Report.


TheBlindJournalistreports from Leicester.


This report is sponsored by Performance Fluids Limited.


It was a very early start for the players on Saturday morning as they travelled to Leicester to play in the anual BJMT Development Weekend. However, they did not show their fatigue as they got stuck into their first match. This was prior to a very motivating and mature Captain's speech by 18 year-old, Tahseen Sabir.


The Lancashire side consisted of two debutants to the game in the form of youngster Aman Raja and Ayaz Ali. The side also had 5 players who had never played in the Development Festival before.
Lancashire's first match was against the Gloucestershire Growlers. Lancashire won the toss and bowled first. Young star Usman Afridi opened the bowling and went on to take two wickets. Wasim Afridi also caused two death rattles. The Growlers managed 63 for 6.


Amelia Robertson and Michael Dickson combined to chase this score down and both ran very well to achieve their target to win the first match for Lancashire.


The Lions second fixture was against the Dorset Dolphins. The toss was won by Dorset who chose to bowl first. The Lions were eager to get going as they had the momentum from their last victory. Arslan Sabir and Michael Dickson opened the batting. Tahseen Sabir, Michael Dickson and Wasim Afridi all made 25 not out. Mohammed Salim Patel added to the score by hitting 14 off the bat, his highest score yet. Lancashire made 127 for 4.


When it came to bowling, Amjad Khan got two wickets. Ayaz Ali also took a key wicket, removing a top order batsmen. Amelia Robertson showed her agility and skill as she took on the role of wicket keeper. The youngster did a great job. The final result being 57 for 3, rendering another victory for the Lions.


The third match of the day was the Lancashire Lions Vs the Barkshire Stags. The Stags won the toss and put the Lions into bat first.


Tahseen Sabir and Kieran Kelly opened the batting. The Captain hit some elegant shots and retired after making 25 not out. Wasim Afridi also did the same by smashing a quick firing 27 not out. The Lions made 106 for 5.


When it came to the bowling Arslan Sabir, Wasim Afridi and Usman Afridi all took wickets. Lancashire won by 89 runs.


As the Lions moved to pitch 1 for their final match of the day, they were fired up to stay unbeaten and did exactly that. The match was against Surrey VICC who won the toss and batted first. Usman Afridi opened the bowling for the Lions. Surrey were bowled out for 49. Usman Afridi and Amelia Robertson both took wickets. Tahseen Sabir and Aman Raja opened the batting. Debutant Aman played exceptionally well for his first ever batting appearance and made 7 runs off the bat. Tahseen Sabir helped clinch the victory with another 25 not out.


The Lions showed their dominance by winning all four of their matches with ease and confidence.


On Sunday the Lancashire Lions faced the Kent Spitfires. The toss was won by the Lions who batted first.


As soon as Wasim Afridi picked up his bat it was as if he hadn't slept. The youngster continued his form from the previous day by hitting several death touches off the bat to make 25 not out. Lancashire made 102 for 2.


Captain Tahseen Sabir gathered his players around and after a quick speech the Lions roared and headed out for part two of the innings.


Arslan Sabir opened the bowling for the Lions and went on to take a wicket. Usman Afridi and Tahseen Sabir also did the same. Arslan Sabir played extremely well in this match. Arslan stopped several boundaries with some sublime fielding.


Kent could only manage 53 runs which meant Lancashire had won their fifth consecutive match. This match was played in great spirits between both sides. This victory took the Lancashire Lions through to the Final of the BJMT Festival.


After lunch the Lions came out to play in the final. There opponents were the Barkshire Stags.


The toss was won by Barkshire who put the Lions into bat. Arslan Sabir and Usman Afridi opened the batting. Both retired with 25 not out. Mohammed Salim Patel then came in and hit 10 off the bat, totalling 40 for him throughout the weekend. In the final over Amjad Khan and Aman Raja combined for a 35 runs partnership which resulted in the Lions making 145 for 5.


Wasim Afridi was the opener for the bowling. Usman Afridi took two wickets, one of which was a great caught and bowl that got rid of a key batsmen for the Stags. Captain Tahseen Sabir also took two wickets. Amjad Khan and Mohammed Salim Patel weren't shy to take wickets of their own and got one each. Salim also took a great catch. Every player for the Lions stepped up to the mark. Youngsters Amelia Robertson and Michael Dickson also bowled economical overs and Kieran Kelly did the same. The Stags could only manage 77 for 7 which meant the mighty Lancashire Lions were winners of the Brian Johnston Memorial Trust 2015 Development Festival. An all round excellent performance by every player throughout the weekend in every game. Usman Afridi and Mohammed Salim Patel were both strong contenders for Man Of The Match in the final. Not forgetting Coach and Mentor Sheraz Chohan who worked tirelessly before the festival to get all his players down. Sheraz was the glue of the team as he was on the sidelines of every match shouting encouragement and praise throughout each game. His advice and support meant that every player was galvanised. This victory is dedicated to him.


As the festival drew to a close the Lions accepted their winners medals and gave their final roar before heading back home.