Last updated: 12 May 2025

This update is for all our volunteers to let you know what changes are happening to how we work with you to provide our services. The changes will mainly affect our regional services and peer support groups but if you are a volunteer providing one to one contact such as befriending, this update also explains how we will continue to support you in the future.

What is changing?

We've reviewed our regional services structure as part of a long-term plan to ensure we continue delivering our mission effectively and sustainably, especially in light of rising costs.

While we are not in financial difficulty, our current model is not sustainable in the long term. These proposals allow us to:

• Maintain our strong financial position
• Invest in areas that grow our impact
• Support more people with macular disease in a way that works for them.

Key reasons for these proposals:

• Feedback from some volunteers shows that the current group model can feel too formal or admin-heavy.
• It's becoming harder to recruit for traditional volunteer roles like group leader or treasurer.
• Managing group finances has become difficult for some volunteers due to bank closures, tighter policies, and a move to a cashless society.
• There's more interest in micro-volunteering - flexible roles with less ongoing responsibility.

These challenges show us that it's time to evolve the system to better reflect the reality volunteers face today.

We're proposing changes to our regional team. Whilst we have a reduced regional presence, under our proposals we will still have a significant team of 14 staff dedicated to supporting our volunteers across the UK.

This would include a dedicated volunteer support team to handle all initial queries, a person focused on helping with volunteer recruitment, someone to help with managing group finances, and a role focused on volunteer learning and communications.

Beyond this team, we will continue to have a wider services team supporting people with macular disease across the UK – including our helpline, our counselling service, and the team who lead our befriending and Skills for Seeing services.

How might this change your experience as a volunteer?

• There may be less face-to-face support or local visits than some of you are used to.
• Instead, support will come from a central, cohesive team dedicated to helping all volunteers in a consistent and streamlined way.
• This will ensure the same level of support across the UK, wherever you're based - clear, reliable, and easier to access.
• We're also proposing annual volunteer events in each nation to stay connected, share experiences, and celebrate your contributions.

We're also proposing a new, optional, 'friendship group' model for local groups. Many of our groups already meet in this way, but we want to more actively develop and promote this model to existing groups for whom it might work better, as well as people who are considering setting up new groups. But groups won't be forced to change to this model – for volunteers for whom the current approach is working well, they'll be welcome to continue as they are.

Possible changes at the Macular Society: Volunteers meeting

These proposed changes were shared and discussed in a series of volunteer meetings earlier this month. We have included the 1 May meeting recording below for those who missed the meetings or would like to watch again.