Joné's story

Joné has been volunteering with RSBC since August 2024. We spoke to her about why she wanted to become a volunteer and what her experience has been like so far.

 

Q. Tell us a bit about yourself?

A. My name is Joné. My family is South African, but I was born in the UK. I’m an art student and I’m 22. The type of art I do is a big mix – I used to only paint, but now I want to try anything I can learn!

I’ve always loved art. Last year, I did a foundation course, which is one year of just experimenting, which unlocked a lot of things for me. Even though I don’t know quite where I’m going with it all yet, there’s something that really sparks in me like nothing else when I’m creating. I’m also in the Rocket Engineering Society, collaborating with them artistically. I just love following my natural interests and trying new and different things.

 

Q. When did you start to volunteer at RSBC?

A. It was in August 2024, although I met with Silvia, RSBC’s Volunteer Coordinator, for the first time that February. I just happened to be in the area at an art gallery and saw that the RSBC Life Without Limits Centre was right next door. I’d been doing a bit of research about RSBC previously, so I thought to myself, I’ll just knock on the door and see if I can speak to somebody!

I was directed straight to Silvia. We had a chat, she asked me some questions, and I had questions about volunteering. That’s how the whole process started.

 

Q. What inspired you to volunteer at RSBC

A. I’d started exploring braille in my art after watching something on TV where the lead actress was blind. After watching the behind-the-scenes interviews, I wanted to know more.

There was the idea of ‘there’s another layer’, and I’m interested in the ways of perceiving the world, how things are represented, and how we experience things. It was looking into a different way of seeing the world, physically, textually, silently, which braille opened up to me. I did tons of research, because I was fascinated.

I wanted to try to learn braille. When I tried learning with my fingers, though, I just couldn’t do it. I love dancing, and thought maybe I could learn it through dance. I ended up creating a dance that was the braille alphabet by putting the six dots on the floor, and through that I can now fully read the braille alphabet/ visually read Grade 1 braille.

My final foundation piece was non-visual. There was braille next to it, but the whole thing was covered in a curtain. You feel beneath everything, which takes time, instead of just skimming over the surface of an art piece and moving on. I won a 2D art award for it!

 

Q. What sort of things have you been involved in during your time volunteering at RSBC?

A. My first trip with RSBC was a sensory tour at Kew Gardens. It was great. I love going to places where the guides and staff are passionate about what they do and have a wealth of knowledge. Someone explained everything to us, and we had permission to then go and feel everything too. It was really cool!

I did a cooking class with the young adults in October, which was fun. We made some amazing food that tasted so good. And I also helped out at the Christmas Concert.

 

Q. What’s the best thing you’ve been involved in so far?

A. The residential trip at October half-term was very cool. It was an opportunity to build relationships and be silly with the young people, as well as learning new skills. We got to do some exciting stuff, like zip-lining and climbing. The best was laser quest, though, because we all got really competitive!

I bonded with some of the young people over our mutual love of musicals. One of the young adults and I would sing together 24/7, which was really fun. Playing braille Uno was also amazing. It was just three days of fun, being together and getting to know each other.

 

Q. How have the staff and other volunteers helped you in your role?

A. Where do I begin? Silvia, the Volunteer Coordinator, has been incredibly encouraging throughout the whole process. She’s always very affirming of me and my character, which is something I don’t really get elsewhere. She’s extremely encouraging – even though I volunteer intermittently, she appreciates anything I’m able to do, even if it doesn’t always feel like much.

At the Christmas Concert, she introduced me to quite a lot of people. While I don’t mind doing it myself, I love it when someone takes the initiative like that.

I’ve been able to make some new friends, too. At the residential trip, me and another volunteer got to know each other quite well. Sometimes we’re paired up on the same thing now, and that’s always fun. The guys leading the residential were great, too. I was able to ask questions, and they were really involved and very fun!

 

Q. Has volunteering at the RSBC helped you in any way in your personal life at all?

A. When I was helping at one of the residential trips, I learned how to be a friend but also hold responsibility, and to understand the boundaries I needed to put in place. For example, if I got overstimulated, I took a little bit of time out and learned to be strong enough to advocate for that. I was able to do that a couple of times, and that’s very special for me. Overall, volunteering has helped me find a balance between being there for the young people, but also being there for myself.

 

Q. Do you think volunteering will help you in a professional capacity, and if so, why?

A. I think it’s helped me understand how a charity works behind the scenes. I’m amazed at how many things RSBC have going on all at once! I’ve been able to see some of the business side of things, which is really interesting.

My experience has also fed into my art. Part of my work as an artist is to learn about people and perspectives, and how to be more compassionate towards all different types of people. The more I can learn, the better.

People living with a vision impairment can be misunderstood, and to support them, I have found first-hand experience to be really useful.

 

Q. Has volunteering expanded your knowledge and understanding of people living with vision impairment?

A. Meeting young people has given me a better understanding of what their lives are like. I’ve learned about the misconceptions and misunderstandings about them.

But I think the biggest learning was during my sighted guiding training. It’s very easy to be really stiff as you want to do it all perfectly with no mistakes. But so much of it is just being yourself, and knowing that we’re learning together. That really takes the pressure off.

When I went on the residential trip, for example, I made a couple of mistakes because I was still learning, but the young people told me not to worry about it. They were very compassionate, which I appreciated.

 

Q. What would you say to someone who’s considering becoming a volunteer?

A. I’d say to be open to learning, and trying new things. I’ve done things at RSBC that I’d never have thought I would, like the residential trip, which was a big step out of my comfort zone.

Another thing is to be aware of what you enjoy – as I said, I connected with someone through a love for musical theatre. Finding mutual connection points is a great way to relate to people as a volunteer.

There’s great flexibility as a volunteer, especially a student volunteer. Silvia will often say that if I can’t make a certain event or date, it’s OK, and she’ll find something else for me instead. That’s something I appreciate, because it helps me to balance everything.

 

If you, like Joné, want to make a lasting difference to the lives of blind and partially sighted young people, consider joining the RSBC volunteer community. With flexible opportunities and a supportive network of like-minded individuals, you can start your journey of empowerment and lasting impact.

Find out more about ways you can volunteer here – Volunteer for us – RSBC