A FREAK accident on the golf course played a significant part in Julian Reeves' decision to apply for the position he now holds as the new chief executive of the Herefordshire Association for the Blind.

Two years ago, Julian, who lives in Ledbury, faced the possibility of losing his own sight when a golf ball hit him in the eye. "I was terrified," he recalls. "The accident made me see very clearly how much you lose when you lose your sight."

So, when Julian, who introduced HeartStart to Herefordshire in his 11 years with the PCT, saw the advertisment, he decided it was the job for him.

"I liked the idea of being part of a small machine," he says.

A month into the job, he is clear about the direction the association needs to take to meet the needs of the 800-plus visually impaired people in Herefordshire. One in 30 of the UK's population is blind or partially sighted, almost two million people.

"I am committed to improving the ways in which we communicate with clients and with the local community," says Julian. "The overriding message is that the organisation is for the visually impaired. It is their assocation and we are here to meet their needs as far as we possibly can.

"My other aim is to make the association's Widemarsh Street building somewhere for the visually impaired to access technology.

"The technology exists to provide access to many more services for our clients.

"Although HAB can't provide that technology to every one of its clients, we can create an IT centre here where they can drop in and use voice-recognition software for a range of applications, including emailing friends and relations. While not the best option, it is the second-best."

One of the other vital ways in which the association is able to help its predominantly elderly members is through its volunteering schemes. Through the Friends at Home service, volunteers offer help with anything from helping with shopping trips and correspondence to form-filling and reading articles from magazines.

Clients and anyone interested in finding out more about Herefordshire Association for the Blind and its work is welcome at the HAB's Open Day on Wednesday, November 1, from 10am to 3pm.

Several companies manufacturing software and equipment designed for use by the visually impaired will be on hand to show their product ranges, and gardening members of the Macular Degeneration group will be demonstrating how they tackle problems encountered by visually impaired gardeners and selling some of their produce.

If you or someone you know would like to attend, but need help with transport, contact Friends@Home manager, Sonia Broadgate, on 01432 353565.