Funding boost for macular disease charity

The Macular Society is set to extend its telephone befriending programme after receiving a £10,000 grant from the Coronavirus Community Support Fund, distributed by the National Lottery Community Fund.

The money will be used specifically for the programme in Yorkshire and the North East of England, and the charity is calling on anyone living in the area who has a macular condition to make use of the service to help ease any feelings of loneliness and isolation they may be experiencing as the impact of the coronavirus continues.

The telephone befrienders provide a regular phone call, helping to reduce feelings of isolation and rebuild confidence and independence. The Macular Society aims to match users with a befriender who shares common interests and experiences, or understands exactly what living with macular disease is like.

Maria Storesund, head of regions at the Macular Society, said: “This is fantastic news for visually-impaired people in Yorkshire and the North East of England. We have seen an enormous increase in the number of people with macular disease coming to us for support to maintain their independence and wellbeing throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

“Thanks to players of the National Lottery, the Coronavirus Community Support Fund, distributed by the National Lottery and the Government we are able to develop our telephone befriending programme to offer everyone in Yorkshire and the North East with any form of macular disease a place to turn. The army of volunteers who have come forward all have personal experience of sight loss, meaning that they are best placed to provide regular social contact, emotional support and genuine understanding to others who are struggling to cope, as the threat of fear and isolation continues to grow.”