A SIGHT loss charity is calling for volunteers to help run an Oswestry-based support group for people with macular disease.

The Macular Society is appealing for anyone living locally who would be willing to help organise and run the group’s monthly meetings, with help from the charity’s services and volunteering team.

The Oswestry Macular Support Group meets on the third Friday of each month, from 2-4pm, at the Qube Centre on Oswald Road.

It is one of more than 400 groups of its kind in the UK offering vital information, encouragement and friendship to people who are affected by macular disease. The group’s next meeting will be held on Friday 21 September.

Amanda Read, Macular Society regional manager, said: “The Oswestry Macular Support Group provides a real lifeline for people living locally with sight loss.

"The peer support offered by the groups is absolutely vital.

With more than 200 people in the UK being diagnosed with macular disease every day, the existence of our support groups has never been more important. If you have some free time and would be willing to help out, either by helping to organise the meetings or assisting in some other way, we would love to hear from you.

“We will also be available to support our volunteers as they learn their new roles and provide any guidance they need going forward.”

The group’s chairman, Malcolm Johnson, was recently nominated in the Best Volunteer category at the Advertizer’s Business and Community Awards for his work in helping people diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

It is the most common type of macular disease and the leading cause of sight loss in the UK, currently affecting more than 600,000 people.

For more information about the group, contact Amanda Read on 01453 755 803 / 07432 700 478, or email amanda.read@macularsociety.org

To learn more about macular degeneration, call the Macular Society’s Helpline on 0300 3030 111 or email help@macularsociety.org