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Steven has had sight loss for many years. However, he had a period of time where he didn’t access our services. Then in 2023 he took the step to come in to speak to our Life Ahead Project Coordinator Sarah B. This service is framed by a series of questions that aim to assess a client’s current situation and set life goals (small or large) that they would like to achieve. Carrying out this process ‘opened a door’ as Steven puts it, to the realisation that he needed help.
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He had been experiencing anxiety and said that just going out was difficult. Sarah persuaded him to access one of our activities, our VI Shooting sessions, by saying that she would attend with him the first time. Steven says ‘Sarah has a way of making you feel at ease and it also probably helped knowing that she has the same condition as me.’
He then began attending Showdown at SRSB (a table sport similar to ice hockey/table tennis), this time persuaded by Nicky, where he met others and began to expand his social circle, another big step forward as he had become reluctant to go out in the evenings.
Steven has also spoken in our Look Ahead Workshops (where we introduce clients to our services and also signpost them to other relevant services). We always invite existing clients to speak in the group and he modestly said that he felt he learnt more from them, as they were experiencing a new diagnosis.
He is now beginning the process of becoming a mentor, working with our Emotional Support Team, so that his experience can help others.
He talks about how his mind has been broadened, but says that ‘I had to experience the downs as well as the highs as this makes you realise what you need to work on, what things can be like, and that things will get better.’
He also commented ‘My outlook changed because people believed in me. Thank you for everything you’ve done for all of us and in particular for me, in 2023. You wonderful people have set me a great foundation in which to move into 2024 and for that I am eternally grateful.
‘You’re all beautiful people with pure gold hearts. I can’t wait to see what 2024 has to throw my way after what was a very challenging 2023 for me.
Here’s to the future. Can’t wait to see what happens.’
We chatted about whether he had achieved the goals that he had set out in the beginning at the Life Ahead session, but he said himself that he has probably exceeded what he had hoped for at that time!