Volunteers needed for sight-loss support group in Sutton on Sea
New volunteers are needed to help run a leading charity support group, which helps people affected by sight loss in the Sutton-on-Sea area.
The Macular Society Sutton on Sea and Mablethorpe group plays a vital role in bringing together those living with a visual impairment, notably macular disease, which is the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK.
However, it has issued an appeal for fresh volunteers to help run and co-ordinate group meetings, arrange guest speakers and organise days out for members.
Will Thornton, community engagement manager for the Macular Society, said: “The difference that our volunteers make to the lives of many macular disease patients is beyond measure.
"Training is provided, and expenses are covered. So if you have some free time and would be willing to help out, we would love to hear from you.
"We know the peer support can be so helpful, and our groups can really help people increase in confidence and become more independent.”
Macular disease is a group of eye conditions that harm the macula, which is the central part of the retina.
It destroys the clear central vision needed for reading, driving and seeing fine details, with the most common type affecting people over the age of 50. Every day in the UK, about 300 people are diagnosed.
The Sutton and Mablethorpe group, which is overseen by the Macular Society, gets together every last Wednesday of the month, excluding August and December, at the Methodist Church on Alford Road, Sutton, between 10.30 am and 12 midday.
It welcomes everyone, be they new or existing members, those freshly-diagnosed with macular disease, their family, friends and carers.
Along with the loss of central vision, macular disease is currently incurable and has a devastating impact on other aspects of people’s physical and mental wellbeing.
Sufferers often liken the loss of their sight to bereavement. It cruelly steals their independence, and their ability to see the faces of their loved ones, adding to their social isolation and feelings of loneliness.
Nearly 1.5 million people are currently affected and many more are at risk. 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.
If you would like to become a volunteer, please contact Will Thornton on 01264 560 472 or email [email protected]
For more information about the other services available from the Macular Society, please call 0300 3030 111 or email [email protected]