Sighted guides sought to help 'paint' Lakes picture

Lee Hodgson said he would stay in the Lakes for longer if there were more sighted guides

A blind man is calling for volunteers to act as sighted guides to help visually impaired people "paint a picture" of the Lake District.

Lee Hodgson, regularly travels from his home in St Helens, Merseyside, to enjoy the beauty spots of Windermere.

He said there used to be volunteers trained by charities in the area, but that numbers had dwindled in recent years.

The 56-year-old is now trying to recruit volunteers to help blind and visually impaired navigate beauty spots.

Gareth Haughton, general manager at the hotel often acts as a volunteer guide

Mr Hodgson regularly stays at the Windermere Manor Hotel which has rooms especially adapted to meet the needs of the visually impaired.

He said: "Guides are a lifesaver when going out.

"It is difficult to navigate around the area because of the nature of the Lakes."

The hotel was bought by Guide Dogs for the Blind Association in the 1990s, and was run by Action for Blind People from 2001.

In 2017 the hotel was bought by the franchise Starboard Hotels, which pledged to continue services for blind and partially sighted guests.

General manager at the hotel Gareth Haughton, who also acts as a sighted guide, urged people to become volunteers.

He said: "It's a fun thing to do and you get to meet some great people, if you can help, why not?".

Mr Hodgson said his aim was to get more people like himself to "start to use the Lakes again" and not be stuck in hotels.

He also said that it was possible to venture to the village safely, but many areas did not have pavements and there was "no way you’d attempt it with a stick or a guide dog".

He added: "The guide can also describe the lake and that is lovely because it paints a picture."

For more information on volunteering contact [e-mail]