Charity looking for volunteers

Sight-loss group meets in Motherwell

A leading sight loss charity is calling for volunteers to help run a Motherwell-based support group for people with macular disease.

The Macular Society is appealing for anyone living locally who would be willing to give up some of their time to help organise and run the meetings, with help from the organisation’s services and volunteering team. They are also looking for people to assist with general tasks such as booking regular guest speakers.

The Motherwell and District Macular Support Group meets on the second Monday of each month (excluding January, July and August), from 1pm to 3pm, at Dalziel St Andrew’s Church Hall in Merry Street. It is one of more than 400 groups of its kind in the UK, offering vital information, encouragement and friendship to people who are affected by macular disease. The group will hold its next meeting on Monday, December 10.

Macular disease is the biggest cause of blindness 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 is the most common form of macular disease, affecting more than 600,000 people, the age of 50.

Every day, more than 200 people are diagnosed with macular disease. It’s the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK. Macular disease is cruel and isolating. It steals your sight, your independence, and your ability to do the things you love.

Jamie Cuthbertson, Macular Society regional manager, said: “The Motherwell and District Macular Support Group provides a real lifeline for people living locally with sight loss. The peer support offered by the groups is absolutely vital – it’s incredibly reassuring for people to know that there are others who truly understand their situation.

“With more than 200 people in the UK being diagnosed with macular disease every day, the existence of our support groups has never been more usually over important. If you have some free time and would be willing to help out, either by helping to organise the meetings or assisting in some other way, we would love to hear from you.

“We will also be available to support our volunteers as they learn their new roles and provide any guidance they need going forward.”

The Macular Society’s work in Scotland is supported by grant funders, including the RS Macdonald Charitable Trust.

For more information on the Motherwell and District Macular Support Group, contact Jamie Cuthbertson on 0141 942 1083 or 07903 520 350, or email jamie.c@ macularsociety.org

And for more details on macular disease, call the Macular Society’s Helpline on 0300 3030 111 or email help@ macularsociety.org.