Long term Mablethorpe volunteer ‘giving back’ to sight loss community

Gill Cross co-runs the monthly Sutton on Sea and Mablethorpe support group with Belinda Barker, which is overseen by national sight loss charity, the Macular Society.

It relaunched in April 2024 with from charity Blind Veterans.

Gill first started volunteering with the Lincoln and Lindsey Blind Society in 2007, five years after she had moved to the area. She had picked up a brochure calling for volunteers to help people who were blind and partially sighted.

“I was looking for something to do and I’ve enjoyed it so much,” she said, having retired from a varied career which included sales and advertising. “I’ve learnt a lot of things about what to do and what not to do with someone who is blind and/or sight impaired, and it’s been great fun.

“I also befriended a lady who was 102, sadly she has since passed away, but she still lived her life even though she could see very little. I just love helping people, and giving something back,” she said.

Gill was invited to help relaunch the Macular Society support group last year. It meets every last Wednesday of the month, excluding August and December, between 10.30am-12pm at the Methodist Church on Alford Road, Sutton on Sea.

The Sutton on Sea and Mablethorpe support group is a space for people with macular disease – the biggest cause of sight loss affecting your central vision - and other forms of visual impairment to socialise, share tips and make new friendships, as well as hear from guest speakers, take part in activities such as a quiz, bingo and sometimes, for those with a little sight, craftwork.

Occasionally they have a get together and meet at a local restaurant for a meal out, or simply enjoy a cup of tea and cake with others who share their condition.

“The group is about finding out how people cope with sight loss, what they can share with others and that is absolutely fantastic,” said the grandmother of two. “It’s fantastic to see them get together and to prove that just because your sight has disappeared, it doesn’t mean your life has.

“You have to find a way around, and if you’re passionate about something, if you’re really interested in it, then you will find you can still do things. And that’s what people get from the group, and swapping their stories.

“It’s so important to be around like-minded people and to know you’re not alone with your sight loss, that there’s people who you can talk to.”

To register your interest in joining the group, contact the Macular Society's Groups Admin team by calling 01264 560 259 or email [email protected]

Macular disease is the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK, with nearly 1.5 million people currently affected and many more are at risk, with around 300 new diagnoses every day.

The disease can have a devastating effect on people’s lives, leaving them unable to drive, read or see faces. Many people affected describe losing their sight as being similar to bereavement. There is still no cure and most types of the disease are not treatable. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common form of macular disease, affecting more than 700,000 people, usually over the age of 50.