Four volunteers from Great Yarmouth who give their time to help people with sight loss lead a full and independent life were recognised at a special celebration event at Vision Norfolk’s hub in the town.
Deputy Lieutenant of Norfolk Henry Cator and Deputy Mayor of Great Yarmouth Penny Carpenter visited the sight loss charity’s premises in Hall Quay to present certificates to the four, each of whom has clocked up many years’ service helping vision impaired people in the town.
Ken Cole, Bill Morrow, June Stamp and Chris Stanley give their time to undertake a range of tasks, including driving, fundraising, running an audio book club, and providing telephone support for people experiencing isolation as a result of their sight loss.
Deputy Lieutenant Henry Cator paid tribute to the quartet, saying, “Without people like you volunteering their time, our county would be a much poorer place.”
Vision Norfolk chief executive Andrew Morter said, “Volunteers are the lifeblood of any charity, and Vision Norfolk is fortunate indeed to be supported by over 150 volunteers from a wide spectrum of backgrounds.
“The charity’s team of volunteers undertake a huge range of activities, including helping at sports and leisure activities, advising at eye clinics, being Telefriends, driving, fundraising, escorting and guiding, and working in the charity’s three local hubs.
“Vision Norfolk could not provide anywhere near the range of services for vision impaired people in Norfolk without our army of volunteers, and we are extremely grateful to all of them.”
Case Study: Chris Stanley
Chris Stanley, one of the four receiving certificates, started volunteering for Vision Norfolk when he retired in 2015. Initially he got involved with the monthly pleasure walks, as well as craft sessions and coffee mornings at the Great Yarmouth hub.
He has spent time helping out at the eye clinic at the James Paget Hospital, in a varied role which ranges from keeping the leaflet stations stocked with the latest information to liaising with the community support worker and simply chatting to patients. He also is a reader for Grapevine, Great Yarmouth’s talking newspaper.
“If anyone is looking for a role with a local organisation, I would highly recommend Vision Norfolk,” he said. “I have found all blind and vision impaired people I deal with to be extremely grateful for whatever you do for them. They are such lovely people; I never hear them complain about their sight loss, they just get on with it.”
