Helpline Befriender

Sightline telephone befriending service is looking for volunteers to expand its service into the sight loss community following a successful bid to the National Lottery Reaching Communities Programme.

People with a visual impairment, many of whom have faced social isolation since their initial diagnosis of sight loss, have found the current pandemic particularly difficult and are facing even greater isolation, loneliness and anxiety, which is likely to lead to more worrying long-term mental health issues. We therefore need your help now, especially if you can spare as little as one hour per week for a friendly chat with a visually impaired person from the comfort of your own home.

Sightline volunteers benefit from building new relationships whilst making a difference in the lives of isolated people.

Being a befriender can help you develop your confidence and conversational skills, whilst we also offer ongoing training opportunities to build experience for your career aspirations.

Sightline is an inclusive organisation that welcomes volunteers from all backgrounds who are experiencing, or have close experience with, sight loss.

What skills do I need?

Experience

To have worked in a paid unpaid capacity with people; and enjoy working with people o

To have experience of sight loss personally; or amongst family; friends or through work. Skills: 

To be able to hold conversations around common interests with people on a regular basis

To be able to be a good listener and communicator 

To be able to operate a telephone.

Knowledge: 

To have an understanding of the need for personal boundaries

To have a basic understanding of how to get the best from support sessions we provide

To understand what it means to operate in a confidential manner 

To be able to show how any training they have attended has helped their own development. Personal Attitudes:

You must have a positive approach; and focus on the positive; and what things people can do.

You must be non-judgemental and non-discriminatory.

You must be prepared to reliably stick to a support agreement; but also able to be flexible when needed.

When do I need to be available?

	Morning	Afternoon	Evening
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday