Volunteering is a great way to meet new people and make a difference in your community.

Research suggests that volunteering can reduce feelings of stress, anger, anxiety, and depression as well as boosting our mood as we feel good for helping other people. Depending on the volunteering activity, it can also be good for you physically by getting you out of the house and moving about.

Volunteering opportunities for people with sight and hearing loss are not limited; there are a range of organisations that welcome people within the community and help them to get involved.

Deafblind UK member, Bridget, runs craft clubs for her local community. She said: “It brings a lot of joy and happiness knowing that I have helped someone and made their day a little brighter. I love being able to pass on the skills that I have to help people.”

Deafblind UK is always on the lookout for volunteers so this could be a great place to start! Volunteering options include working in our charity shops, fundraising, becoming a befriender or volunteer in our social groups to help keep them running. There’s a range of opportunities to suit and we’d love for you to get involved!

Find out more about volunteering for Deafblind UK here. 

You could also contact your local volunteering centre and discuss the type of work you would like to do. These are local organisations that support volunteers and the
organisations they work for.

Another approach is timebanking, where you give someone an hour of your time and in return, you can have an hour of someone else’s time. So, you might help someone to do their shopping in return for someone else doing your garden. For more information visit: timebanking.org.

Many organisations will try to accommodate sight and hearing loss where possible so why not get in touch with an organisation that you’re passionate about to find out more and start volunteering!