Lobbying vs self-help

[Louise Pembroke]

Thankyou Vic!

When I did the paper version of this and held it up at a distance and compared it to the 1" pale thing you get from local teams there was no comparison, this really stands out well.

[jayuk]

Has this been okayed by the commitee?...as without there say or backing its probably going to be harder?

Louise? has anyone approached you on this from the commitee?...Im assuming yes as youve progressed? Vic?

If not, then it needs to be raised and discussed and would need a more proactive input

[Louise Pembroke]

No Jay, it hasn't been okayed by the committee. I did previously post here and ask for the committee to give me and Anne some indication as to whether we could go ahead and start working on this as letter writing on behalf of a group would be more effective yes. If new badges were not produced by the RNIB or local sight impairment teams then we could for as little £25-50 because there are badge places which offer charities cheap rates [I'd be prepared to put in £20]. Again, this would need approval we couldn't do anything otherwise.
I did ask whether we should wait until the results of a survey.
If people need to talk that's absolutely fine but a couple of us here are willing to do the work needed, we would only need approval, charity numbers and if possible some KC Group headed paper or computerised version of that for the letters.
Without that we could write just as members but not on behalf of the group.

[GarethB]

We have a comittee meeting the first weekend in the new year, so if you sumarise all the information and costs we can put it on the agenda to discuss it at the next meeting.

As you know next year is when we will have another confrence. We do our best to discuss everything, the meeting often continues in a sperate location if we over run our aloted time. So we do try and discuss everything fully.

[Louise Pembroke]

Thanks Gareth, well most of the info is here, as for costs well, depending who does what currently, there might be none. Depends on what comes back to us in correspondence.

What Anne and I need is basically;

1] approval

2] to be able to write to the RNIB/anywhere else on behalf of the KC Group [only on this specific issue] and preferably with some headed paper

3] Then, if, it turned out that we needed to make some badges up and launch them I could obtain quotes [and would need charity number details if proceded with].

[Carole Rutherford]

It's been so long since I posted here I feel guilty and see that I have missed a great deal I have reasons for not being here but I will post those elsewhere - however can I say that although I don't have KC my son does and even more so than his autism his KC is impacting on his life. I don't have a huge knowledge about KC but what I can offer is my knowledge of Campaigning and I know that there are many others here who also come with that knowledge - but I guess what I am trying to say it I would be more than happy to throw my hat into the ring and help where ever I could.

Carole

[Christine Wallis]

Hi

I'm just a newbie - but if you need any help in PR/Marketting i'm more than willing to get involved.

I've worked as a journalist for 18 years (2 years in papers, 15 years in radio)

So if you need any help compiling press releases etc, just let me know. I've also done 'media training' which may be useful in the future.

Chris x

[GarethB]

Thanks Christine.

I will print this thread off before the comittee meeting so I will keep you all posted.

[Anne Klepacz]

Christine - a belated welcome to the forum and many thanks for your offer of help. If you'd like to join as a full member ie join our postal mailing list as well as this forum, do PM me or e-mail me at anneklepacz@aol.com with your postal address. I'll then send you the conference DVD which everyone is talking about and other KC booklets (this goes for any other recent newbies in the UK)
Anne

[Christine Wallis]

I don't know if this is the right place to post this - or if it's been discussed before, but I think it would be a brilliant (but maybe unworkable) idea for opticians 'shops' on the high street to allow us contact lens wearers - (for example, if when we are shopping we are having discomfort, dust in the eye etc) to just pop in and rinse our lenses. I know many times i've just headed for the nearest ladies, tears straming down my face to wash my lens in (gasp) tap water.

Maybe the proposed badges could help ???

Just a thought.

Chris x

PS The eye care centre at Tescos in Bolton were magnificent when I had a lens 'malfunction' the other week - they sat me down, provided tissues, saline etc.