Deafblind UK

Deafblind UK support people who have combined sight and hearing loss which affects their access to information, mobility and communication. We help them to live with their condition and to build their confidence and independence.

Deafblindness affects everyone in different ways. Some people might have mild sight and hearing loss whereas others can’t see or hear anything. It can be isolating and lonely and can lead to mental health issues - but it’s far more common than many people realise. Around 400,000 people are affected by sight and hearing loss in the UK.

Any Deafblind UK member can currently request either a telephone or email befriender and for our BSL using members we also offer video befrienders.

Information for volunteers

Deafblind UK members have combined sight and hearing loss and many live alone with few family and friends around them.

Could you help support our members who would like to stay in contact over the telephone and receive a weekly call from a friendly volunteer?

Making a regular call or sending an email to one of our members could make a huge difference right now. So many of them live alone and having the opportunity to speak to another person can be of huge benefit to their general wellbeing.

How can you help”¦

We are looking for confident, chatty and friendly individuals who can hold a good conversation with our member over the phone. You could be chatting about similar interests or learning about each others lives. Whatever the conversation you’ll be making a positive difference.

Something as simple as a phone call could brighten up our members’ week.

You don’t need to be local to the member and you don’t need experience to become one of our chatty volunteers. You just need to be comfortable talking over the phone, engaging, able to instigate conversations and commit to regular weekly calls.