Ray

Vista is opening several charity shops throughout Leicestershire and Rutland, selling high quality donated goods and a selection of assistive technology for people with sight loss.

Ray has lived in and out of the East Midlands over the last three decades. He moved to Sutton Bonnington two years ago, and saw it as a fresh start – “I had no commitments, and wanted to do something useful with my time and give something back.”

Ray found out about the charity through his friendship with Roy Hill, a Vista Trustee. He said “We went for lunch and he told me all about Vista, and I knew I wanted to help a small, local charity.” 

He now volunteers twice a week at Vista’s charity shop in Loughborough, which has become a stable part of his schedule. He said “I really look forward to working in the shop, it makes my day. I love chatting with customers and making them feel welcome.”

Ray goes the extra mile to help out by collecting stock for the shop. He said “I’ve been getting my friends to drop off donations at my house - they’ve started asking me if I need anything in particular!”

He added “Penny, the Shop Manager, is fantastic – she has an eye for presentation and the shop always looks great. There’s a great team here, we’re all mates and it’s a lovely feeling.”

To find out more about volunteering for Vista, please visit our volunteering vacancies page.