A Member's journey to becoming a Volunteer

Jerry Bradley, 62, has been supported by Blind Veterans UK since 2024 and last year signed up as a Member volunteer. Jerry has spoken about his experience of volunteering for the charity: 

I sort of fell into it as I have always stepped in to help others but the training I’ve now received has given me more confidence to do this.

I served in the RAF for 13 years and it was in 1996 when I left the RAF that problems with my sight first surfaced. It wasn’t until 2003 that I was diagnosed with Stargardt disease which is a genetic eye condition.

Everyone has one blind spot in each eye but with Stargardt disease you have three and mine are growing: I’ve lost my central vision and I also have Charles Bonnet syndrome which means I see things that are not there.

When I first lost my sight, I was the only blind person I knew. I was in a dark place at times but since finding Blind Veterans UK my whole life has changed. I’ve taken part in a host of activities, including go-karting, paddleboarding, axe throwing and I completed 100km in the South Coast Ultra in September, proving to myself that my sight loss doesn’t define me.

In April last year, I was asked if I could be a sort of crash test dummy for training volunteers to safely guide Members. This was the moment that started my journey into becoming a volunteer myself. I was blindfolded so I was completely black blind and was guided into a café. The trainee volunteer took a huge amount of care ensuring I got into the café safely but then I found myself standing in a room and felt incredibly vulnerable and confused. In that moment I was able to put myself in the shoes of someone who has no sight at all and knew I wanted to do more to be able to help train volunteers and to support other Members myself.

So, I sort of learnt how to guide others by accident. I have always helped others, but my training has definitely given me the confidence to do more.

I’d actually say, a lot of my volunteering is soft touch rather than what others may consider volunteering. I largely see my role as being on hand when I’m at the Rustington Centre to look out for others and to notice when they may need a bit of support or offering extra support at community coffee mornings.

When I was staying at Rustington in the summer, a group of 16 of us went on a trip out to play skittles and I was one of two Members with enough sight to stand up the skittles and I also used my new guiding skills to support other Members on and off the bus and through the pub. At the centre I help people get around if they are looking a bit lost. The training has helped me to recognise situations where other Members may need help.

I also stay in regular contact with others I’ve met at the centre and take on a sort of telephone befriending role. Any of us can do this without the need for official volunteering training. You get to know other Members at the centre and find things you have in common which leads on to making those regular calls to check in on others who may be on their own or more housebound than you.

It's a huge learning curve; I learn more about myself and the Members I’m helping all the time. Myself and another volunteer took out a Member who is a wheelchair user to the pub. I learnt about transferring into a car, choosing venues that are wheelchair accessible and also to check with the Member whether they want to stay in the wheelchair or be transferred to a seat at the table.

I get as much out of volunteering as the Member I am helping gets from my support. I make new friends, we chat and I learn about their diverse backgrounds. A trust builds between us which is a lovely thing.