downsmail.co.uk SeeAbility challenge
FIVE Maidstone women with sight loss and disabilities completed the epic ‘Up at the O2’ challenge in 28 degree heat on Friday July 7. They are aiming to raise money for a sum- merhouse with sensory equipment to be built at the end of their garden. The women, Kayleigh, Lucy, Grace, Becky
and Laura, are supported to live together in a shared house by SeeAbility, a national sight loss and disability charity. A support worker or rehabilitation worker -
a specialist who teaches people with sight loss how to do everyday tasks - supported each woman on the climb. The challenge involves ascending all the
way to the top of The O2 via a walkway, suspended 52m above ground level, in full climbing gear. SeeAbility Chief Executive, Lisa Hopkins, joined them on the challenge and tweeted a photo of the group at the top of the arena. SeeAbility is a UK charity sup- porting people with sight loss and multiple disabilities to live the life they choose. SeeAbility enriches the lives of people with
sight loss and multiple disabilities by provid- ing specialist support enabling as much inde- pendence in life as possible. They support
aged it. It is almost as if they think they can wish away the pollution while increasing the number of polluting vehicles on the road. Building more out of town houses that need cars, failing to invest in clean public transport and building wider roads will sim- ply drive emissions higher. Their failure to even mention the number
of deaths attributable to air pollution is ap- palling. They seem to want to keep their heads firmly in the sand. We need a radical rethink of the Local Plan
with an end to out of town house building and a switch to higher density homes in the town where people do not require cars. We need to see huge investment in clean affordable public transport so people don't have to use their cars. We need monitoring and road closures when pollution hits dan- gerous levels. And we need them to act quickly, it has taken them six months to come up with their plan - during which time 65 people died. Stuart Jeffery, Green Party
We deserve bigger EU role
people to develop the skills and make the choices they want to enjoy a fulfilling life. SeeAbility shares their expert knowledge to raise awareness and increase access to eye care and vision services for people with learning disabilities.
IN REPLY to K G Banks recent leer in your pages.We deserve a bigger EU role. He has not read the following or the authors mentioned. Bigger role? Our ex- prime minister tried and was ig-
nored. We have never had influence in the EU because we come from a background of hard won democracy in the EU democracy is a dictionary word not a way of life, he mentions ‘largest trading partner’ he ought to study the Rotterdam effect in particular. I wonder if he is putting forward an argu-
ment of a ‘Remoaner’ not realising that we have sent a great deal of our inheritance to the EU to sustain a bottomless financial hole whilstwe suffer with poor housing, a health service which is just managing, bigger taxes, more vat etc. etc. All to pay for super pensions for the EU members. I could not believe what I read that employees of the EU do not pay tax - they do, but it is reimbursed. Then we have a Lord who is worried
about his pension whenwe leave the EU. We ought to take to heart John F.
Kennedy's Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961: “My fellow citizens of the world: ask
The summerhouse will cost £5,580 and
you can donate to their fundraising page here:
https://www.seeability.org/fundrais- ers/climbing-the-o2 Nick Pryce SeeAbility
not what America will do for you, but what togetherwe can do for the freedom of man”. A Dennis, via email
Making use of drones
I READ with some with some interest in a recent edition of Downs Mail that Kent Police have started to use drones - or unmanned aircraft - in the force’s day-to- day duties. Perhaps the only question one might ask
is: “Why didn’t they start a lot earlier?” After all, criminals use them! Properly used, drones are a practical and cost-effective way of performing certain functions whichmight not be able to be car- ried out by helicopters or light aircraft. One instance mentioned is the location of missing people, particularly in secluded areas or where speed and pinpoint accuracy might be needed. One would hope, however, that they do
not become a cheap alternative to the use of helicopters which provide speed and the ability to cover a huge area. J Squires, via enail
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