Driving connection and friendship

Connected Together, was a Guide Dogs Australia national project which aimed to support community and peer support activities for people living with low vision and/or blindness, carers, family members and their support networks.

The project was funded by the Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) Social and Community Participation Grants, Department of Social Services, Australia Government. The project was a post COVID-19 initiative, delivered from June 2021 to June 2024.

Over the life of the project, 52 peer groups were supported to engage in over 400 activities, inclusive of sport and recreation, art and culture, or general social and community connections. These activities were in person, online or via telelink.

Guide Dogs Australia wishes to acknowledge and celebrate the individual and collective expertise of peer groups with lived experience across Australia, their drive, leadership and ongoing commitment was pivotal to the design and the impact of the project.

One such peer leader was Cecily, who facilitated a series of social groups for people living with low vision and blindness…

They meet once per month on a Tuesday, sharing a cuppa and good conversation. Spearheaded by Cecily, the Boyne Island Low Vision Group offers individuals with low vision or blindness an avenue to connect with like-minded people, who share similar life experiences.

For Cecily, it all started when her late husband and dear friend Younis both suffered from low vision. Determined to get them out of the house and help them find a connection with others, Cecily would drive her loved ones to the Boyne Island Low Vision Group on the fourth Tuesday of the month, for a much-needed outing.

After just a handful of visits, Cecily was told the group was not proceeding any further as getting to-and-from the sessions was a challenge for the group members.

“I decided to offer lifts to and from the sessions to people who lived in the surrounding areas, and in no time I had a full car of friends travelling with us to the group,” said Cecily.

“With such demand, I recognised that we needed something much larger than a car to transport us and from the sessions, which is when we explored renting a bus.”

Cecily worked with the local Lion’s Club to borrow a local bus, at the time costing $100 per session for fuel. Cecily said there was not one empty seat on that bus.

The Boyne Island Low Vision Group was able to fund the bus hire each month, after successfully applying for a Connected Together grant.

“The grant helped us to pay for the cost of the bus hire to get our friends to this important meeting each month.”

Cecily said that while she has organised entertainment for the group in the past, the real value has come from just sitting and chatting.

“The group has had an incredibly positive impact on both myself and those around me. We have a cup of tea, share strategies and tactics to help making their lives easier each day. It’s a place to talk about their situation and hear from others who are having a similar experience to them.”

Connected Together was made possible through the Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) grant program, which aimed to ensure that people with a disability, their families and carers are supported to take part in, contribute to, and benefit from the same community activities as everyone else.