Sight Life welcomes Volunteers from Monmouthshire Building Society to assisted cycling session.
Sight Life was delighted to welcome Catherine, Filiz and Karen from Monmouthshire Building Society who volunteered to help with our Pedal Power sessions.
Pedal Power sessions take place every Tuesday morning and provide accessible cycling in Pontcanna, Cardiff. These sessions give people with sight loss an opportunity to experience cycling on a side-by-side bike with the support of a volunteer rider.
For Sight Life’s service users like Carol, living with sight loss can be incredibly challenging. Carol goes to the Pedal Power accessible cycling group on a regular basis and said “I never thought I would ride a bike again. We used to ride a lot as a family, so it is wonderful to ride a bike side-by-side with a volunteer. I look forward to going every week and meeting up with everyone for a chat, too. I am so grateful to Sight Life for encouraging me to have a go and I thoroughly enjoy all the activities I have tried so far.”
The volunteers from the Monmouthshire Building Society joined the sessions following on from a very successful Sight Loss awareness training session they commissioned from Sight Life.
Catherine Bone Assistant Branch Manager, Cardiff said:
“What a wonderful opportunity! We were able to be part of supporting colleagues from the fantastic charity Sight Life. We all had a ball and really enjoyed everyone’s company too. I have lots of interest from other colleagues in our Society to get involved”.
Val Baynton, Sight Life’s Volunteer Development Manager said “Groups like our Pedal Power sessions provide a new lease of life for people with sight loss. We are very grateful to our volunteers from the Monmouthshire Building Society. We received fantastic feedback from their recent training sessions and the volunteers who joined us for cycling really enjoyed themselves. We look forward to welcoming them back for more sessions and the members really appreciated their assistance.”
Richard Harvey CEO at Sight Life said “We are developing a fantastic relationship with Monmouthshire Building Society and wish to thank the volunteers and Sally Williams from the flagship Cardiff branch for assisting with setting up this volunteering opportunity. We look forward to more joint activity and to providing additional training sessions to assist Monmouthshire Building Society staff with supporting their valued blind and partially sighted customers”.
Do you enjoy cycling?
Sight Life are always looking for volunteers to pilot tandem bikes at our Pedal Power activity group. Our Pedal Power sessions are great fun, allowing our members to get out and about and cycle alongside a volunteer on a tandem bike. Please contact us on 02920 398900 or email [email protected]
Monmouthshire Building Society
Established in Newport in 1869 to help local people build homes, we now help people across Wales and England buy properties and save for their future.
Monmouthshire Building Society, 33-35 Queen Street, Cardiff CF10 2AG, CF10 2AG
About Sight Life
Sight Life (formerly Cardiff Institute for the Blind) supports people who are blind or partially sighted in south Wales. In 2020/21 we helped more than 3,000 people in Cardiff, Swansea, RCT (Rhondda Cynon Taf), Neath and Port Talbot.
We provide statutory services to people with sight loss on behalf of the local Councils in Cardiff and Swansea.
In cooperation with the NHS, we provide a support service (ECLO: Eye Clinic Liaison Officer) for patients newly diagnosed with sight loss in University Hospital of Wales (UHW “The Heath”) in Cardiff.
Our aims are to ensure that people with sight loss can take part in all aspects of society, including work and leisure.
We offer a range of training, clubs and activities including audio-described theatre trips, confidence building, cooking, drama, employment support, fitness, gardening, IT, music, photography, rambling and yoga to people with sight loss.
Established in 1865, we are one of Wales’ oldest charities. In spring 2022 we returned to being an independent charity after being part of the UK wide RNIB Group since 2009.
We have approximately a dozen staff and annual income in the region of £440,000 from statutory contracts, grants, trusts, The National Lottery, donations and legacies.
Sight Life changed its name from Cardiff Institute for the Blind in 2019 to reflect the fact that we work beyond Cardiff, including Swansea and RCT (Rhondda Cynon Taf). The name change also recognises the fact that we support people with any degree of sight loss, not only those who are blind.
Please support our work and make a donation to Sight Life by clicking donate here. Alternatively, text SIGHTLIFE to 70085 to donate £10, or text SIGHT to 70560 to donate £5.
To fundraise for us please click fundraising.
To volunteer with us please click volunteering.
Thank you!