'Volunteering is about shaping the world you want to live in now'
For Grace, 25 at the time of writing, volunteering isn’t just a pastime; it’s about building a better, more inclusive world. Already a passionate advocate for accessibility and inclusivity, her ability to reflect on her experiences has given many teams within RNIB important insight. Using her lived experience and positive drive, she is helping to shape services, support others, and challenge perceptions.
“I’m one of those really progressive people” Grace shares, “I believe everyone has the right to access the world in the way that works for them.”
That belief led her to RNIB, where she first got involved through the Connect Voices group as a member and later saw an opportunity to get involved as a volunteer, “I'm really interested in co-production, inclusivity, accessibility, and advocacy. The opportunity was to help with moderating RNIB's main Connect Voices Facebook group, to help with making it a safer and more friendly community. There could also be the opportunity to look at content before it is posted on the group and make sure it is accessible, which really played to my heart. I just thought this would be fantastic.”
From there, her volunteering experience quickly blossomed into a wide-ranging volunteering journey. Today, alongside her Facebook Moderator role, Grace is involved in multiple roles that cover reviewing and building communication resources for people living with sight loss and for volunteers; helping to improve the volunteer experience through the Volunteer Advisory Council; and sharing lived experience feedback.
“I’ll turn my hand to anything where I think I can help” and she means it: Grace also volunteers with her former high school, an orchestra, and other local and national sight loss charities, and somehow finds time for it all. “I look at it and I think, ‘I'm born blind I can either sit at home and whine or I can fill my life with opportunities to make those things better’”.
That mindset has made her a standout volunteer. One of her proudest moments came recently when she was invited to co-present to over 100 staff members at a RNIB directorate meeting about the work of the Volunteer Advisory Council. “It felt insane,” she recalls. “I’ve only been in the group a year, and there are people who’ve been involved for so much longer. But they asked me. That meant so much.” Staff afterwards fed-back how much they enjoyed the presentations from Grace and her fellow volunteers, describing them as “inspiring”.
Grace’s humility is matched by her insight. She brings a thoughtful, solutions-focused approach to every role she takes on. As a Facebook Moderator for Connect Voices, she’s particularly proud of how she helps maintain a positive, purposeful space. “We’re not a support group we’re a hub for sharing opportunities and making things better. Sometimes people just need to vent, and that’s okay. My role is to validate their feelings and gently guide them to the right place, without dismissing them. It’s about making people feel heard and uplifted, even if their post isn’t quite right for the group. That’s what I love; knowing I’ve made a difference to someone’s day.”
Volunteering has also helped Grace grow in confidence. “I walk into these groups- well, metaphorically, since most are online- and I see people who are older, more experienced, really embedded in the sight loss community. And then there’s me. So, when I get asked to represent the group, it’s like, wow. They want to hear from me.”
Volunteering opportunities for young people
That sense of being seen and valued is something Grace wants more young people to experience. She’s noticed that in many volunteering spaces, she’s often the youngest person in the room. “Volunteering isn’t just about giving back after you’ve lived your life. It’s about shaping the world you want to live in now. There’s this idea that volunteering is something you do once your life quiets down. But it can fit into a busy life too. There was a time where I was doing multiple volunteer roles and working a part-time job. I was honest with my employers that I was a volunteer and there were parts of my volunteering that I would not want to give up. Equally, I was honest with my volunteer managers in all my roles, and everybody was really flexible and understanding. People are more receptive than you think, especially when you’re upfront.
We do need to do more to encourage younger volunteers, organisations could do that by sharing the message that they understand that you are giving up your time, and you are putting your heart into a cause that you're passionate about. So as long as you're straight with them [about your time capacity] they'll understand.”
For any younger volunteers who are wondering how much effort it will take for them to make a difference, Grace shared her thoughts:
“Volunteering means using your lived experience and your skills to show others that there is hope, that they’re not alone. Even something as small as a Facebook like or a comment can uplift someone. That’s what it’s all about: connection, support, and making things better.”
