Patrick’s
Sightline Story
I have been volunteering with Sightline for around 4 years now. I was volunteering with other sight loss charities and felt I had lots of transferable skills and would really enjoy chatting on the phone with other visually impaired people.
I currently have 2 telephone befriending relationships and have one call a week with each person. Both have lots of interesting stories to tell from career highlights jetting around the world to a mutual love of Manchester City football club.
One of the service users is gradually losing his sight. He is now unable to undertake the career path he chose and recently gave up his driving license as he no longer feels safe behind the wheel. This is someone only in his fifties; someone who should still have plenty of time to work and drive but both have been cut short due to the loss of his sight. Understandably, this service user is experiencing a roller coaster of emotions and I am there to listen and support him on his sight loss journey.
“Our calls provide the perfect platform for chatting through shared experiences. You may think that it’s only the befriendee that benefits from the relationship; but it’s not the case – I enjoy our calls as much as they do!“
If sharing my experiences living with sight loss can help someone on their own journey, why shouldn’t I help? I do the calls from home, and I know they provide something positive for us all to look forward to.
Name has been changed to protect volunteer identity.
We currently have a number of volunteering opportunities available. Please get in touch if you can spare as little as 1 hour a week. Your call can really make a difference to someone living in the sight loss community.
Call 0800 587 2252 or email us at info@sightline.org.uk to find out more.
To find out more, please contact us:
(*0800 numbers are free to call from BT landlines and most mobile networks)