Jessica’s Sightline Story

Jessica’s
Sightline Story

I joined Sightline as a Volunteer Telephone Befriender just over six months ago. I am now retired from nursing and was looking for a volunteering role that I could use some of the skills I have gained over the years. More importantly, as I now live on my own, I can understand how people with limited or no sight can become very isolated without interaction with other people.

If I find it difficult on my own, at least I can get away from the house if I begin to feel down or out of sorts. I felt working as a telephone befriender may help people feel less alone, and a weekly phone call something to look forward to.

I currently speak with three befriendees on a weekly basis. I told the Sightline team my availability and they scheduled the calls around me – it is great and very flexible!

The lady I speak to on Monday evenings is so lovely, we have wonderful conversations about a whole host of topics, and usually one of us will have “homework” to do ready for our call the next week. I have learnt so much from her and admire her continuing to go out walking with her dog, despite the fact she cannot see.

I currently speak with three befriendees on a weekly basis. I told the Sightline team my availability and they scheduled the calls around me – it is great and very flexible!

The lady I speak to on Monday morning, we have lots of laughs over some of her antics (not least about concrete boots and her hanging out of an upstairs window to clean the windows)! We also talk about her family, and mine.

I have only spoken to my third befriendee a couple of times, so I am looking forward to that friendship developing over the coming weeks.

I feel these calls benefit the people I am speaking to because it can be just having a friendly ear to listen, or maybe being able to offer some advice they need for something around the home. I like to think they all look forward to a call from a friendly voice, with hopefully a few laughs along the way!

I look forward to our weekly chats and wonder what I will be hearing from each of them, and how incidents from the previous week have been settled – or not!

My 90 years young befrindee had told me she was hanging out of the landing window cleaning the windows and she thought maybe she was getting a bit old for this! The following week she didn’t answer our call, so when I rang Sightline somewhat concerned, after they spoke to her I was informed she was up the garden with a bag of cement and would explain all next time we spoke! Well, of course my first comment to her the next time we spoke was “Have you been making cement boots so you can still clean the upstairs windows?”

Volunteering with Sightline is a good experience for all ages and from all walks of life, I’d recommend it to others in a heartbeat.