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Help #Blindsided NZ Support People With Low Vision

  • Overdue update!

      27 November 2020

    Hello everyone,

    Well, the first leg of the tour is complete and I am very excited to let you know that we currently have 8 advocates (including myself) around the country who will be ensuring that we have support meetups in various locations - let me know if you are keen to get a list and / or contact details!

    My caravan is currently in for repairs so I have no firm dates for the (rest of the) South Island leg but rest assured it will come :)

    Really appreciated all the support received throughout the North Island and top of the South - thank you.

    Now some great news - as you know we received Charitable Trust status on the 22/07/2020 but there were some hiccups in the process of getting the bank account sorted. Its finally happened!

    What that means is that donations that were previously paid into my account (Chrissie Whitfield) are (from now) going to be paid into our formal Blindsided NZ account, and those donations will now be tax deductible.

    Please do share this page with your networks - we are looking to put together a basic website and every donation is appreciated. Also don't forget, if you are based in Christchurch, we have a fundraising event on December 5th at Moon Under Water in Somerfield - all proceeds of Three Boys beer purchased between 3pm and 5pm will go towards #Blindsided! Yayyy!

    See you there?

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  • #gettingthisshowontheroad

      2 October 2020
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    Happy Friday everyone!

    Just taking the opportunity to provide a bit of an update to all those that have been so supportive in helping #Blindsided NZ and our low vision members in getting started. Special thanks to Blind Low Vision New Zealand (BLVNZ) - previously ‘The Blind Foundation’ for helping us to ‘get this show on the road’.

    Thank you all, your support is very much appreciated. With your help we are now a registered charity and have launched our meet-up tour of NZ with Hamilton being yesterday’s ‘first cab off the rank’.

    The meet-ups are open to all ages and all eye conditions with the purpose of providing social and emotional support to anyone dealing with vision loss. The next meet-up is scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday) in Sth Auckland, then Whangarei before heading back down the North Island with various stops on the way.

    Interested in the itinerary? Email me at chrissie@blindsided.nz

    #lowvision #letsgetthisshowontheroad #visionloss #eyehealth #replanyourlife #blindsidednz #socialandemotionalsupport #charity #coaching

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  • Great progress!

      23 August 2020

    It has been a GREAT NEWS fortnight for Blindsided NZ - not only have we been receiving some great support and donations (we are over halfway to our stated goal of $7k!! - many thanks :) )but we also now have a small but awesome board of trustees to help us move forward.

    PLUS we have now formal confirmation from IRD that we meet the criteria to be a donee organisation. What does this mean to you? It means that you can now claim a donation tax credit!! Yayyyy!

    Keep sharing and helping us to help others - appreciate the support from each and every one of you. Thank YOU🌼

    #lowvision #blindsidednz #visionloss #support #socialandcommunitysupport #donationsneeded

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  • NEARLY halfway there :)

      5 August 2020

    Thank you all so much for your generosity, it is much appreciated along with all the messages of support.

    I have updated the overall goal/target back to the original figure of $7k as we are almost halfway there! yayyyy :)

    We are now incorporated and registered as a charitable trust (and our legals fees paid!). Currently we are working towards a) the funding for nationwide meet-ups trip in October, b) some help with $ for the marketing / PR plan and c) website hosting and development (and d) anything else we can squeeze in to help us get off the ground!).

    On behalf of the Blindsided NZ group and the low vision sector, thanks again for being an integral part of our journey.

    Chrissie x

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  • Exciting News!!

      27 July 2020
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    UPDATE!!

    Exciting news :).

    We are now formally registered as a Charitable Trust!!

    Thank you so much to everyone for all your support towards our first goal - it is very much appreciated.

    Special thanks HAS to go to @Steven Moe from Parry Field for going ‘above and beyond’ in offering his services for a capped rate so we could better afford it, in patiently responding to my many questions, in sorting out the Trust Deed and Incorporation and last but most certainly not least, expediting the registration for Charitable Trust status (literally overnight!).

    This now means that we are fully established prior to our inaugural nationwide meet-ups circuit targeting October 2020!

    Help us to keep up the momentum by donating / sharing now.

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  • Many thanks so far!

      6 July 2020
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    Hi everyone, just wanted to acknowledge all the amazing people that are supporting us and give you all a heartfelt thank you :)

    With our first goal met already we have engaged legal support and have a draft deed ready for review!

    Before we move on too much further, we now need to ensure that have the right governance team In place! So if you know of anyone with an interest in health and wellness, low vision, accessibility and education that maybe interested in becoming a trustee, let me know!

    Please copy this URL and share with your friends and families :)

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  • Wow - first goal met - welcome to our second goal

      26 June 2020

    Thanks to donor generosity, we have now been able to engage with a lawyer (who have, in turn, capped their fees so we can better afford them! - huge thanks to Steven Moe from Parry Field in Christchurch btw :) ).

    We are heartened by the response we have received to date and are working towards our second goal ...

    2. Set up and facilitation of sessions around the country for members and guests to meet and share stories (the first trip is planned from Dunedin through to Whangarei – October 2020).

    For clarity and transparency, it’s worth noting that I added this the wrong way around - it is actually from Hamilton via Whangarei to Dunedin (or further south if there is support) with many stops in between.

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  • We are soooo close!

      24 June 2020

    Thank you so much - we are halfway to our first goal of $2,500 to cover the legal fees for setting up #Blindsided NZ as a Charitable Trust.

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  • Wow! Thank you so much for helping us

      18 June 2020

    We are just over halfway towards our first goal of $2,500 to cover the cost of legal fees for the charitable trust status.

    The group and I are grateful for your donation and helping us to raise visibility of our cause. The more we raise, the more people with low vision we can help.

    Thank you

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