A leading sight loss charity is calling for volunteers to help run a Windsor-based support group for people with macular disease.

The Macular Society is looking for locally based people willing to give up some of their time to help organise and run its meetings with help from the charity’s services and volunteering team. The group is also looking for people to assist with general tasks such as booking regular guest speakers.

The Windsor Macular Support Group meets from 10.30am to noon on the first Monday of every other month at the New Community Centre in Hanover Way - one of more than 350 groups of its kind in the UK. The group’s next meeting will be held on Monday, January 8, a week later than usual because of the holiday.

Increasing numbers of people are being affected by age-related macular degeneration (AMD) - the most common type of macular disease, currently affecting more than 600,000 people.

Tom McInulty, Macular Society regional manager, said: “The Windsor Macular Support Group provides a real lifeline for people living locally with sight loss. The peer support offered by the groups is absolutely vital – it’s incredibly reassuring for people to know that there are others who truly understand their situation.

“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.”

For more information about the Windsor Macular Support Group, please contact Tom McInulty on 01264 321 963 / 07814 064 332, or email tom.m@macularsociety.org