St John Ambulance Staffordshire - Points of Lights

Carol Trigg, from Staffordshire, has been a member of ‘St John Ambulance’ for nearly 50 years, delivering first aid in the community and running large teams of volunteers.

After deterioration in her vision in 2012, she had moved from her role as a unit manager to become a training specialist. She now oversees the volunteer units in South Staffordshire and helps maintain standards and training for all volunteers. Since losing her sight, Carol set up a self-help group in her local area for other visually impaired people and their carers. The meetings are held monthly in the local church, and the programme includes speakers, information sharing and varied activities.

In a personal letter to Carol, Prime Minister Theresa May said:

“Your dedication to supporting ‘St John Ambulance’ for nearly 50 years has been truly remarkable, and has inspired people from across Staffordshire to volunteer for the charity and provide vital first aid cover. You should feel very
proud of the way you are sharing your own experiences of sight loss to offer specialist support to individuals with visual impairments, and those who care for them.”

Carol said:

“It was a total surprise, out of the blue, to be informed that I had been recommended for the Points of Light award for my voluntary work with ‘St John Ambulance’. Like many others, I have been a member of St John since joining as a cadet, in my case at age 11, and I have gained many skills from participation in the organisation as a volunteer at different levels and in different roles, which have helped me in my working and social life. It is humbling to be selected from among many worthy volunteer colleagues. I continue to be involved as a trainer and have the privilege therefore of meeting young people who are starting on their St John journey.”

Use Your Senses 5k Run for Guide Dogs at Sutton Park,

On Sunday 3rd December 2017 at Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield I completed the Use Your Senses 5k Run for Guide Dogs. I did not believe I could have so much fun having never run before. 

I did the run in a time of 55 minutes, the course had a variety of terrain making it a challenge in parts. I signed up in September for the run after my younger brother who is fully sighted did a 5k run for Guide Dogs at Telford Park. He told me how much he enjoyed the run and I was inspired to do one myself despite having limited vision.

Signing up for the event was simple, all I had to do was go onto Guide Dogs website and find the next local 5k event. For myself this was in Sutton Coldfield, however, Guide Dogs are planning to do more over the country in 2018. Once I had signed up online, a few days later I recieved a training pack via email to help prepare myself for this new challenge. 

My sister also signed up to the event and she was my sighted guide. By having my sister it helped motivate each other as we both could have easily have given up especially in the cold, dark nights. The training plan was simple to follow but was challenging for those like me who had never run for the bus let alone 5k. 

On the day, the atmosphere was electric with music playing, the smell of food from the food

 vendors and people talking to one another. There was lots of guide dogs with their owners who also paricipated and guide dog puppies who were in training. My guide dog Flora, was at the start and finished line with my husband supporting me on my run. I think Flora was worried that she would have to run but realised that  I was running off into the distance without her. 

The run was all about using your senses as when you lose your sight you have to rely on other sense. This meant that throughout the course, there was check points the first was about sound. There was a local choir who sang as you went passed. The second check point was bubbles that were scented with mint; the third was taste, where we were given cinnamon snowflake biscuits; the fourth was running through powder paint representing sight and the final was touch where we had to run through foam. 

Running across the finish line I felt liberated and excited. I would highly recommend this event to challenge yourself. There was a variety of ages and abilities taking part. 

I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who supported the event and Guide Dogs. 

Norton Canes Primary Academy met
Carol and her dog Florad

'

Year 2 at Norton Canes Primary Academy met Carol and her dog Flora for the first time in January this year. They were embarking on a project about seeing in the dark (nocturnal animals) and invited Carol and Flora in because the children were curious about what is was like to be blind and how blind people coped.

They were so inspired they decided to try and raise funds to help Carol look after Flora. 

Their aim was £260 - £10 per class member. As a class they decided to do a sponsored walk of 10 laps of the school field. One Child took it upon himself to raise a whopping £340 on his own by cycling around Chasewater. Another child sold his Christmas toys to raise £75. The grand total came to £800 and was presented to Carol and Flora today to give to the Guide Dog Association. The children were ecstatic to see Carol and Flora again. '

Carol O'Brien

Teacher 26 May 2016

Carol and Guide Dog Flora meet Michael Fabricant MP

Michael Fabricant MP meeting Carol and Flora
25 May 2016

TAXIS AND PUBLIC TRANSPORT NEED TO BE AWARE OF THEIR LEGAL OBLIGATIONS TO THE BLIND AND THEIR GUIDE DOGS

Michael Fabricant and other MPs met partially sighted and sightless constituents in Parliament today (Wednesday 25^th May) along with their Guide Dogs.

Michael met Carol Trigg of Burntwood who, with her guide dog Flora, had been refused entry to a taxi in Cannock. Carol says “I am aware from conversations with other guide dog owners I regularly meet that I am not alone in having been refused a taxi in Staffordshire.”

Michael says “It is the law that taxi drivers must accept guide dogs and their handlers.  It is against the law to refuse and there are fines and the risk of the loss of their taxi licences if drivers do not comply.

“I have taken this up with the Government minister, Justin Tomlinson, who has responsibility for this and asked if the Government can give this law more publicity and increase the penalties on any driver who discriminates against anyone with a guide dog by refusing to carry them to their destination.  And this applies to train operators and buses too.”

Poor Service from Cannock Taxis for Guide Dog owner Carol

Carol and Flora will not take a Taxi
off Cannock Taxi rank again

AND FINALLY

As a consequence, I have not taken a taxi from Cannock taxi rank since as I now feel vulnerable, in case I were to encounter that same driver and I can have no confidence that the Local Authority would act to protect me as the message they appear to have given to taxi drivers is that they can refuse guide dog owners with impunity. Had it been late at night with no other alternative taxi there then I would have been placed in great difficulty.

I do not know whether other guide dog owners have been refused a taxi in this area. I do know that nationally most people who are refused apparently do not report because of having no confidence that action will be taken. There have however been a few successful convictions in cases similar to mine, even where there was no independent witness.

I would be interested in hearing the experience of other guide dog owners and their families.

Hope you are keeping up with this Cannock Taxi saga?

Flora needs your help to search for the truth

Having returned home, I contacted Guide Dogs for advice and subsequently the local council, Cannock Chase, who licence the taxis on the rank. I then had a number of contacts and meetings with the licensing officers and received indications that they were not happy with the first driver’s effective refusal to carry me with their guide dog. I made statements at their request and I understand that the second driver also made a statement supporting me. I was informed that the first driver, who was denying any knowledge of the incident, was being taken to court by the Council and I was notified of an initial court date. However, the Council then seemed to change their mind and decided not to pursue this. I am told that this decision was taken on legal advice because a successful conviction was not guaranteed and because the Council had not taken a case like this to Court before. 

TO BE CONTINUED!

Flora needs your HELP please

Flora needs your HELP !

I did not question this but went to the next taxi in the queue. As I got into this taxi with my guide dog, this driver informed me that, when he saw me approach the taxi in front of him, he had not been surprised that the first driver had refused my fare as he said that he knew that the driver did not like dogs. The first driver then came alongside the car on the driver’s side and repeated that he had a fare booked. After the first driver walked away, my driver commented  that, if that were the case, he should not have been on the rank.  As the taxi I was in pulled away, the first taxi was still on the rank.

I asked my driver for the plate number of the first taxi and he made a note of this for me , also giving me his own number.

TO BE CONTINUED