A DROITWICH man who had his life changed by a county charity after he lost his sight is changing the lives of others through volunteering.

Allan Roberts, aged 70, was registered blind five years ago.

After losing the ability to drive, use a computer and get out and about as he used to, he came across an appeal from the Worcestershire Association of Carers, which was in need of volunteers for its telephone befriending service.

Mr Roberts said: "The organisation had just launched Carer Talktime, a telephone befriending service to give carers a friendly ear and someone to help ease the stresses of being a regular carer.

"I thought that I could do that. I could help someone by talking to them and I’d be helping myself at the same time.

"With my first call I dialled the carer’s number, said ‘Hello, I’m Allan,’ and that was the last thing I said for an hour. But at the end of the conversation she was much calmer and I’d helped take some of the pressure off. We

spoke regularly for the next six months, by which time she was a completely different lady.”

Since signing up to be a volunteer, Mr Roberts said his life has been transformed as volunteering has given him the confidence to become a member of organisations including Toastmasters International, University of the Third Age and Probus, as well as being elected to his local town council.

To celebrate Volunteers’ Week, which runs from June 1-7, many of the carers who use the Talktime service have written a card to their volunteer, who they will often never meet face to face, to thank them for the support they give.

Alison Cutner, volunteer coordinator at Worcestershire Association of Carers, said: “We couldn’t run our Talktime service without our volunteers. The cards they will receive are a small token of appreciation from both the charity and the carers themselves.”

The charity will mark the week with other events, including information days at Pershore Town Hall on Wednesday, June 3 and the Guildhall in Worcester and the Regal in Tenbury on Friday, June 5.

They are also joining in with the Picnic in the Park at Priory Park in Great Malvern between 12.30pm and 2.30pm on Saturday, June 6.

To find out more about becoming a Talktime volunteer or for more information about Worcestershire Association of Carers, visit www.carersworcs.org.uk or call 01905 751340.