"The walking group is just wonderful, I can't praise it enough, it's what makes our lives worthwhile."
Gail is a volunteer at the Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind and has been attending the group's walks for around 13 years. She says that at first she was frightened and" didn’t know what to expect, if you were going to be guided properly, if you were going to be left in a field, or - I was terrified."
"When I first joined the walking group, I was sort of in a quite a depressed state, because my sight had been going down and I can honestly say joining the walking group brought me back to life. You’re not as isolated because it can be quite isolating when you’re visually impaired." With the friends and experience gained from the group, Gail explains how she regained her confidence and felt more like herself once again.
When it comes to relying on guides, Gail praises them in saying, "You put your faith in that person and I am never - I am never nervous of being guided."
Being able to get out into the fresh air seems to be something many of the group enjoy. "I love bird song, I love to hear birds, smells, the sound of leaves; you know, concentrating on where I’m going but I can also hear when the birds start chirping and I just love it." On top of it all it seems noticeable that new interests are piqued constantly when a moment is taken to stop and listen to the environment.
"When I first joined the walking group, I was sort of in a quite a depressed state, because my sight had been going down and I can honestly say joining the walking group brought me back to life. You’re not as isolated because it can be quite isolating when you’re visually impaired." With the friends and experience gained from the group, Gail explains how she regained her confidence and felt more like herself once again.
When it comes to relying on guides, Gail praises them in saying, "You put your faith in that person and I am never - I am never nervous of being guided."
Being able to get out into the fresh air seems to be something many of the group enjoy. "I love bird song, I love to hear birds, smells, the sound of leaves; you know, concentrating on where I’m going but I can also hear when the birds start chirping and I just love it." On top of it all it seems noticeable that new interests are piqued constantly when a moment is taken to stop and listen to the environment.