Charity calls on volunteers for Waterlooville sight loss support group
Volunteers are needed to help run a leading sight loss charity support group, which supports people affected by macular disease in Waterlooville.
The Waterlooville support group, run by national charity, the Macular Society, gets together every second Thursday of the month, 1.30-3.30pm at Age Concern Borrow Day Centre, Cowplain, Waterlooville, PO8 8DB.
The group is open to people with any form of sight loss, not just macular disease, and offers information, encouragement and friendship to people with a visual impairment, as well as their friends and family, to help them feel less alone. Guest speakers are regularly invited, while it is also a space for people to connect and support each other over a cup of tea or coffee.
Along with the loss of central vision, there is no current cure for macular disease. It can have a devastating impact on people’s physical and mental wellbeing. People often liken the loss of their sight to bereavement - it steals their independence, and their ability to see the faces of their loved ones, adding to their social isolation and feelings of loneliness, which is where the support group steps in.
Macular Society regional manager Tyler Phillips said: “We’re working with and helping so many local people with a sight loss condition and our volunteers play an important role in that.
“The difference that our volunteers make to the lives of many macular disease patients is really beyond measure. Training is provided, and expenses are covered. So, if you have some free time and would be willing to help out with the Waterlooville support group then we would love to hear from you.
“The local group is welcome to everyone, be that new or existing members, those newly diagnosed with macular disease, their family, friends and carers. We know the peer support can be so helpful and our groups can really help people increase in confidence and become more independent.”
The next group meeting will take place on Thursday, 11 February 2025.
Macular disease is the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK. Nearly 1.5 million people are currently affected and many more are at risk. 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.
If you would like to become a volunteer, please contact Tyler on 07920 643710 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]