My Story by Shelley Lillico B.A (HONS) Degree Social Work Student
During my six weeks at the Sunderland and North Durham Royal Society for the Blind, I have been working with the society on a placement from Sunderland University. My time has been an amazing experience and a real learning curve. I have seen how the society provides fantastic opportunities for their members, such as coffee mornings, where they can come together and socialise and enjoy each others company. The society organises day trips for their members normally once every year which is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to get away for the day and enjoy each other’s company.
The society has been a great place for my first year work experience, and I am so honoured to have been a part of it. The thing I enjoyed the most was the healthy walk. A project that Richard Wood, the executive officer, gave me and my student colleague, Keri Lea, to arrange.
The walk was around Herrington Park in Sunderland where we took 5 visually impaired members on a mini bus, we walked around the park with a qualified guide to provide us with the history of the park. There were lakes where the members could hear the sound of the water and sand blocks with shapes on so they could feel and guess what the shapes were, the members really enjoyed this. We also provided a picnic with ham and peas pudding sandwiches which they all appreciate as they all had more than one.
The members were thrilled with this outing and this really made me feel proud that I could provide this opportunity for them.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff and members who have given me precious memories that I will keep forever, the society really is an amazing place and without it the members will have none of these wonderful things to do.
