Drew’s
Sightline Story
I have been volunteering with Sightline for around three and a half years now. I have undertaken a lot of volunteering in my time; I do love it. I also volunteer on The Samaritans helpline and have done so for the past 7 years. I like to give something back to the community.
The lady I speak with is so lovely – she is 90 next month and is an absolute joy to speak to. She lives alone, doesn’t see many people and is understandably lonely. She has age related macular degeneration (AMD) and Meniere’s disease which causes her severe bouts of dizziness.
My friendship with Jennifer has grown over the years. We’re very close and I know she appreciates our calls. Being visually impaired myself, I know Jennifer feels comfortable sharing her lived experiences with me – I can understand what she has been through, and she tells me this helps her hugely.
It is so, so easy to volunteer with Sightline. You can make a huge difference to someone living with sight loss – it’s really rewarding.
The impact on my wellbeing has also been amazing; I feel so good after speaking with Jennifer; I know I am helping her feel more positive about herself.
I feel privileged to be volunteering with Sightline. I say this because you can be helping people through some very dark times in their lives. They open up to you, sharing thoughts and feelings that no one should have to face alone.
You can be the difference to change their outlook on life. That to me, is why I think it is a massive privilege to be involved with a charity like Sightline.
Names have been changed to protect identities.
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)