Wayne’s
Sightline Story
I started volunteering with Sightline in October last year so I’m approaching 6 months now. A friend recommended the opportunity and I thought why not? I love socializing and chatting to people and had the time to spare.
I started off with one befriendee but now speak with two; both are very different which I love as we have lots of things to talk about. Neither person speaks at length about their visual impairment which is fine; I very much let them steer the conversation and there’s plenty to chat about.
During one call we got talking about music and I explained that my love of Country and Western music was difficult to chat about with my friends; they all like dance and pop whereas I like a bit of Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers.
I’m so glad Sightline took the time to match me with someone with similar interests to me, our mutual love of Country and Western is the focus of many of our calls now.
Prior to volunteering with Sightline I wouldn’t have said I was a particularly confident person but the more calls I do, the more confident I feel as it has provided the opportunity for me to gain new skills.
I am a university student and undertake the calls on my day off. Volunteering with Sightline will be a great addition to my CV when completing employer’s application forms.
My favourite befriending memory so far must be being able to talk someone about Country & Western music at great length!
Name has been changed to protect 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)