Are you interested in getting out and about in your local community more? Do you want to give your support to someone with sight loss? Do you love interacting with others? If you have answered yes to all 3 then this could be the perfect role for you!
If you are interested in becoming a My Sighted Guide volunteer then the next step is to check if there is an opportunity available near you. You can use our website or contact us to find out what's available near you.
What you’ll be doing
In this person-centred volunteer role, your support will include:
- Being matched with someone with sight loss for 3 to 12+months to help rebuild their confidence in getting out and about.
- Using our first-class training to provide sighted guide assistance to someone with sight loss.
- Sharing an interest or hobby with someone with sight loss, this could be going for a walk, going to a crafting club or even a football match!
- Providing updates to your volunteer manager to ensure everyone is happy in the partnership.
My Sighted Guide
Are you interested in getting out and about in your local community more? Do you want to give your support to someone with sight loss? Do you love interacting with others? If you have answered yes to all 3 then this good be the perfect role for you!
47% of people with sight loss feel isolated and cut off from the people and places around them. Being a My Sighted Guide volunteers means helping someone with sight loss regain that confidence to get out and about in their local community again.
Search for an opportunity
If you are interested in becoming a My Sighted Guide volunteer then the next step is to check if there is an opportunity available near you. You can use the search option below to find all volunteering opportunities near you and if you don't see a My Sighted Guide option – don't worry! We do update our opportunities all the time so make sure you check back in.
You’ll ideally have:
- Good communication and interpersonal skills to engage with the people you are matched with.
- Patience to deliver sighted guide assistance.
- The physical ability to guide someone with a visual impairment.
If you don’t feel you tick every box but are sure this role is the one for you, we’d love to hear from you! We’re always open to suggestions and are very happy to chat with you to find out what’s possible, so please just get in touch on [email protected].
What you’ll get
- The satisfaction in knowing you are first handily supporting people with sight loss to live actively, independently, and well.
- An opportunity to share your skills in being person-centred or develop new skills for future career development.
- To have fun socialising and interacting with others.
- The health and wellbeing benefits of getting out and about in your local community.
- A new passion and hobby to get involved with in the future, that can spark from your partnership.
- A dedicated volunteer manager and fellow peers who will help support you throughout your role.
Training and support
Our volunteers are given in-depth training to help them partake in this volunteer role, a great bonus for people wanting to learn more about sight loss! This is delivered in an interactive engaging manner, using a mixture of different learning techniques e.g., e-learning modules and face to face workshops. Examples of the modules you will be learning include:
- Providing sighted guide assistance.
- Different sight loss conditions.
- Managing safeguarding situations.
If you have questions about the training requirements, we can answer these at your interview along with any other support or accessibility needs you may have.
Volunteering for Guide Dogs should never leave you out of pocket. We’ll make sure we pay any expenses related to volunteering with us, including travel costs.