At Kent Association for the Blind, we have been supporting people with a sight impairment for 103 years.
During this time, we have been fortunate to have met so many volunteers who kindly give their time to help visually impaired people. One such person is Kathy.
For the past ten years, she’s been befriending Margaret, who has Macular Degeneration. We try to match a befriender with an individual based on personality and shared interests. Fortunately, they have the same sense of humour, so get on really well. They chat on the phone regularly and Kathy visits her once a fortnight.
Margaret enjoys knitting and, between them, they’ve knitted and sent off well over 100 scarves for a disaster-relief charity overseas.
“Kathy is an endless help to me. I don’t know what I’d do without her. She gives me the confidence to do something worthwhile with my time. It helps that she cares and really understands about my eye condition. Kathy is so kind and, whilst we’re working, we talk for a long time about all sorts of things.”
People with a sight impairment are especially vulnerable to loneliness and social isolation. A volunteer befriender is such an important role, helping people to feel less lonely. Kathy decided to become a befriender as she knew the difficulties people with a sight impairment can experience.
“My son is visually impaired and has had support from KAB. I think that if I were visually impaired, I would really appreciate someone visiting me and taking me out. I really enjoy befriending. It is a great thing, for me and for Margaret.”
Margaret lives in a care home. “I don’t do many of the activities here, as my sight is becoming worse. So I really look forward to working with Kathy.”
We currently have over 91 befriending matches and it costs over £52,000 to provide this service; ensuring volunteers are trained and supported.
Can you help us to continue to be there for our clients who are unable to go out or feel isolated? We know it’s a challenging time, but your donation will make a huge difference.