For me, the journey of sight loss has meant me adjusting and giving up a lot of things that I was able to do before, like driving or just heading out somewhere I don’t know without planning or preparation.

Perhaps it’s different for people who are born blind and others who have had sight and have lost it, as there is an experience of seeing and a way of comparing life.

What I have found is that despite not being able to see everything, my other senses have improved and I now notice things others seem to take for granted. My sense of smell is suddenly very strong and I am amazed by the wonder of nature and what is going on in the world on a daily basis.

One of the good things to come out come out of this whole experience has been Croydon Vision. The Wednesday group has shown me how individuals of all ages from a variety of backgrounds, cultures and religions can come together and share experiences of sight loss.

The camaraderie of being with people who understand sight loss, who live with it and for whom it is not just a job or a caring role has been immeasurable. They all understand the difficulties we face and are there to offer support and guidance.

The Wednesday group have visited lots of places including Wandle Park, the London Eye and more recently the Science Museum. The beauty of these visits and events is that even though it was necessary for us to have help guidance and assistance, we all still felt independent. I am an active member of the Wednesday group and it has given me the opportunity to battle any feelings of social isolation amongst group members and chat about sight loss.