Anna’s
Sightline Story
I heard about Sightline from another sight loss charity and started volunteering by answering calls on the evening helpline back in 2018. I have been told that I am good with people, and I do love to have a good natter!
I was born with Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and have developed Nystagmus over recent years. Having Nystagmus, also known as “Dancing Eyes”, means I can’t control the repetitive movements of my eyes, hence the reason they appear to be “dancing.” I have many experiences to share about my sight loss journey so feel I have a lot to offer as a Sightline telephone befriender.
I currently speak to two service users; both with different eye conditions and feelings about their visual impairments. One person I speak to has Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and is very keen to share his experience of sight loss. He has had a very interesting career, which invariably plays a part in some of our conversations. Sadly, he lost his wife recently, so I feel lucky to be supporting him through the grieving process on our weekly calls. His neighbours and daughter are close-by so our calls offer that additional support when they aren’t around.
I speak with another person who doesn’t really mention their visual impairment. We have some enjoyable conversations talking about what we’ve been up to, the news, families and everything in between.
“I love being able to help others and if giving an hour or two a week is all it takes to do that, then I’m more than happy to be volunteering with Sightline.“
I’d whole heartedly recommend volunteering with Sightline to anyone. Being able to help others through a phone call each week is really rewarding; you don’t even have to venture out of the house to do it so it’s very convenient and I love that!
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)